Swanby Family History

From Swainby in Pickhill (NR Yorks) which is recorded as Suanebi in 1086 and Suenebi in 1111–22 and perhaps also Swainby in Whorlton (NR Yorks) which is recorded as Swaneby in 131. The place-names probably derive from Old Scandinavian sveina, genitive plural of sveinn ‘young man, servant, attendant’ + bȳ ‘farmstead, village’.

Though it is possible that Swainby in Whorlton is named with the Old Scandinavian personal name Sveinn + bȳ.