NameCensus.

UK surname

Swords

An occupational surname referring to a soldier, swordsman, or one who makes or sells swords.

In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Swords surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 456, ranked #10,705, up from #21,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coventry, Falkirk - Town Centre and Callendar Park and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Swords is 463 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 424.1%.

1881 census count

87

Ranked #21,334

Modern count

456

2016, ranked #10,705

Peak year

2014

463 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Swords had 87 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 456 in 2016, ranked #10,705.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 125 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Swords surname distribution map

The map shows where the Swords surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Swords surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Swords over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 63 #22,069
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 87 #21,334
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 427 #10,476
1998 modern 428 #10,810
1999 modern 449 #10,464
2000 modern 445 #10,539
2001 modern 429 #10,634
2002 modern 426 #10,918
2003 modern 417 #10,924
2004 modern 411 #11,053
2005 modern 415 #10,878
2006 modern 427 #10,683
2007 modern 434 #10,639
2008 modern 435 #10,735
2009 modern 446 #10,755
2010 modern 455 #10,802
2011 modern 458 #10,630
2012 modern 434 #10,977
2013 modern 457 #10,705
2014 modern 463 #10,659
2015 modern 461 #10,636
2016 modern 456 #10,705

Geography

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Where Swords' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Batley, Brancepeth and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Coventry, Falkirk - Town Centre and Callendar Park, Cheshire West and Chester, Wellingborough and Tameside. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Brancepeth Durham
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Coventry 012 Coventry
2 Falkirk - Town Centre and Callendar Park Falkirk
3 Cheshire West and Chester 019 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Wellingborough 010 Wellingborough
5 Tameside 001 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Swords

These lists show first names that appear often with the Swords surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Swords

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Swords, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Swords surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Swords household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Swords is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Swords is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Swords falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Swords is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Swords, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Swords

The surname Swords originates from Ireland and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is an Anglo-Norman name derived from the Old French word "espees," meaning swords or blades. This name likely referred to a person who was a swordmaker or a soldier skilled with swords.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Swords surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Sweord" and "Swerd." This medieval census suggests that the name was present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In Ireland, the name is closely associated with the town of Swords, located in County Dublin. The town's name is believed to have originated from the Irish word "Sord," which also means "swords." This connection suggests that the Swords family may have originally hailed from or held lands in this area.

Notable individuals with the surname Swords include:

1. Sir Ralph Swords (c. 1300-1370), an English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and served as a commander under Edward III.

2. John Swords (c. 1550-1613), an Irish Catholic bishop who served as the Archbishop of Armagh from 1586 until his death.

3. Thomas Swords (1783-1868), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools and colleges in the United States.

4. James Swords (1765-1846), an Irish-American businessman and political figure who served as the Mayor of New York City from 1808 to 1809.

5. Michael Swords (1836-1914), an Irish-born American Civil War soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg.

The Swords surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Ireland and England, such as Swords in County Dublin, Swords End in Hertfordshire, and Swordsland in Norfolk.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Swords families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Swords surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 22 Swords' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.59x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 22 2.59x
Kent 14 4.78x
Devon 11 6.16x
Middlesex 10 1.17x
Hampshire 6 3.41x
Lancashire 6 0.59x
Angus 4 5.03x
Durham 4 1.57x
Cheshire 2 1.06x
Dumfriesshire 2 10.55x
Sussex 2 1.38x
Wigtownshire 2 17.54x
Royal Navy 1 9.78x
Somerset 1 0.72x
Surrey 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Batley in Yorkshire leads with 13 Swords' recorded in 1881 and an index of 160.89x.

Place Total Index
Batley 13 160.89x
Woolwich 12 110.91x
Stoke Damerel 11 88.00x
South Stoneham 6 157.07x
Acton 5 99.40x
Hampstead London 4 29.92x
Rastrick 3 127.12x
Willington 3 202.70x
Greenwich 2 14.64x
Half Morton 2 1333.33x
Hove 2 31.50x
Kirkcowan 2 526.32x
Little Bolton 2 15.28x
Lochee 2 281.69x
Manchester 2 4.37x
Bedminster 1 7.70x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.68x
Chester St John Baptist 1 29.33x
Dundee 1 3.37x
Easington In Clitheroe 1 1111.11x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 5.78x
Forfar 1 23.20x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 9.04x
Hipperholme Cum 1 26.74x
Ilkley 1 71.94x
Lambeth 1 1.34x
Liverpool 1 1.62x
Manningham 1 9.54x
Royal Navy 1 11.44x
Sheffield 1 3.69x
Tattenhall 1 312.50x
Toxteth Park 1 2.90x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Swords surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Swords surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 5
John 5
William 5
Patrick 4
Thomas 4
Michael 3
Henry 2
Jno. 2
Austin 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Peter 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Swords surname: questions and answers

How common was the Swords surname in 1881?

In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Swords surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Swords surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 456 in 2016. That gives Swords a modern rank of #10,705.

What does the Swords surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a soldier, swordsman, or one who makes or sells swords.

What does the Swords map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Swords bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.