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The swan Surname

swan Name Meaning and History

  1. Scottish and English: from Middle English swan ‘swan’, hence a nickname for a person noted for purity or excellence (which were taken to be attributes of the swan), or resembling a swan in some other way. This was also an Old Norse and Old English personal name, from which the surname may be derived. In some cases it may be a habitational name for someone who lived at a house with the sign of a swan.
  2. variant of English Swain.
  3. Americanized form of German Schwan.
  4. Americanized form of Norwegian Sveen or Swedish Swahn.

Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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swan Family Facts

Distribution of swan Families in the US in 1920
Number of swan families
 248-493
 83-247
 1-82
 0
Compiled by Ancestry.co.uk from the 1920 US Federal Census records

Click on a state to view swan census records

Year

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What do I do next?

The information for this map came from Ancestry.co.uk’s US Federal Census Collection.
  • Census records can tell you little-known facts about your ancestors such as birthplace, residence and occupation.
  • Click here to search swan census records.

More resources for your swan family history

Swan message board


Threads: 570 - Messages: 1329
ThreadAuthorReplies
Swan - Segars jacque_burgess 1
William Albert SWAN, NYC born 1875 lgreenwald54 0
Henry Swan - Wallsend - Northumberland SallyGlos 0
Smokey Swan skelbley8141 5
SWAN FAMILY NY michelebembry 17
I have family tree Deanna Swan 43
family of James S. & Jane (Taylor) Swan - OH to Crawford Co., IL locogirlp1 0
African American Swans Jonathan Swan 5
Stephen SWAN Farm, 1800's Winchester, MA bbffrrpp 0
Alice Swan NoraNell16 5
Viewing 1-10 of 570 |  Go to the full board

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