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Swainston Family History

Swainston Surname Meaning

English (Durham and North Yorkshire): habitational name from Swainston in Elwick (Durham) from the Old Norse personal name Sveinn (genitives Sveines) + Old English tūn ‘farmstead estate’.

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


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Where is the Swainston family from?

You can see how Swainston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swainston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Swainston families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 178 Swainston families living in Durham. This was about 44% of all the recorded Swainston's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Swainston families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swainston 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 Swainston 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 Swainston. 20% of Swainston men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Swainston women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swainston were Master Butcher and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Swainston | 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
    20%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Dairy Farmer
    9%
  • Master Butcher
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Swainston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Swainston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swainston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swainston

Passenger Lists

There are 531 immigration records available for the last name Swainston. 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 Swainston immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 579 military records available for the last name Swainston. For the veterans among your Swainston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swainston military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swainston family history

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What is the average Swainston lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Swainston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Swainston in 1951 was 54, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swainston

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swainston 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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