NameCensus.

UK surname

Szwed

A surname indicating Polish ethnicity or nationality.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Kesteven, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Szwed is 154 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

146

2016, ranked #24,173

Peak year

2015

154 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016, ranked #24,173.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Szwed surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Szwed surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Szwed 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
1997 modern 41 #33,552
1998 modern 33 #34,532
1999 modern 31 #34,821
2000 modern 28 #35,080
2001 modern 28 #34,936
2002 modern 33 #34,717
2003 modern 36 #34,522
2004 modern 39 #34,477
2005 modern 57 #33,178
2006 modern 67 #32,532
2007 modern 77 #31,856
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 106 #29,157
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 153 #23,537
2015 modern 154 #23,306
2016 modern 146 #24,173

Geography

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Where Szweds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Kesteven, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Coventry and Broughton North and Powderhall. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Kesteven 010 South Kesteven
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 011 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Coventry 035 Coventry
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 007 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Broughton North and Powderhall City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Szwed

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Szwed

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Szwed, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Szwed surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Szwed household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Szwed is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Szwed 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

Szwed falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Szwed is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Szwed

The surname SZWED originated in Poland and dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "szwed," which means "Swede" or "Swedish person." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who had connections with Sweden or was of Swedish descent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SZWED can be found in the Polish town of Krakow, where a merchant named Jakub SZWED was mentioned in historical records from the late 16th century. During this period, Poland had close ties with Sweden, and it was not uncommon for people to adopt surnames related to their associations with other countries.

In the 17th century, the name SZWED appeared in several Polish parish records, indicating that it had become more widespread. For instance, in 1632, a man named Jan SZWED was recorded in the parish records of Poznan, a city in western Poland.

The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent Polish military leader named Franciszek SZWED (1718-1797), who fought against the Russian Empire during the Bar Confederation uprising. His fame likely contributed to the further spread of the SZWED surname throughout Poland.

Another notable individual with the SZWED surname was Józef SZWED (1835-1905), a Polish writer and journalist who was active in the Polish nationalist movement during the late 19th century.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the SZWED surname was Józef SZWED (1892-1939), a Polish military officer who played a significant role in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. He later served as the Commandant of the Noncommissioned Officer School in Grudziądz.

It is worth mentioning that the name SZWED is also found in other Slavic countries, such as Russia and Ukraine, where it has similar origins and meanings related to Swedish connections or ancestry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Szwed surname: questions and answers

How common is the Szwed surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016. That gives Szwed a modern rank of #24,173.

What does the Szwed surname mean?

A surname indicating Polish ethnicity or nationality.

What does the Szwed map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Szwed 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.