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Swainson Family History

Swainson Surname Meaning

English (northern): patronymic from the Middle English personal name Swain (Old Norse Sveinn; see Swain) + -son.

Compare Swanson. English (northern): patronymic from Middle English swein ‘servant attendant; boy young man’ (Old Norse sveinn) + -son.

Americanized form of Swedish Svensson or of its cognate Sveinsson.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Swainson family from?

You can see how Swainson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swainson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Swainson families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 226 Swainson families living in Lancashire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Swainson's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Swainson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swainson 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 Swainson ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Dairy Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Swainson. 20% of Swainson men worked as a Dairy Farmer and 74% of Swainson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swainson were General Labourer and Household Duties.

View Census Data for Swainson | 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

  • Dairy Farmer
    20%
  • House Painter
    13%
  • Builders Labourer
    10%
  • General Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    3%
  • Household Duties
    3%

What Swainson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Swainson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swainson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swainson

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Swainson. 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 Swainson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 894 military records available for the last name Swainson. For the veterans among your Swainson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swainson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swainson family history

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What is the average Swainson lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Swainson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1994, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Swainson in 1963 was 71, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swainson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swainson 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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