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Swain Family History

Swain Surname Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Swain Swein (Old Norse Sveinn Sven from sveinn ‘lad’). English: occupational name from Middle English swein ‘servant attendant; boy young man’ (Old Norse sveinn).

The word could also denote a swineherd or a peasant in general. The name was thoroughly confused with Swan.

Irish: when not the English name possibly an Anglicized form of Mac Suibhne; see McSwain.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Swain family from?

You can see how Swain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Swain families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 900 Swain families living in London. This was about 15% of all the recorded Swain's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Swain families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swain surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Swain ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Swain. 8% of Swain men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Swain women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swain were Colliery Hewer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Swain | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%
  • Colliery Hewer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Swain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 241,000 census records available for the last name Swain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swain

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Swain. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Swain immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Swain. For the veterans among your Swain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swain family history

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What is the average Swain lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Swain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Swain in 1940 was 42, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swain

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swain ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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