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Swanby Family History

Swanby Surname Meaning

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.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Swanby family from?

You can see how Swanby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swanby family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Swanby families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 2 Swanby families living in Yorkshire. This was about 50% of all the recorded Swanby's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Swanby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swanby 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 Swanby ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Truck Driver was the top reported job for people in the USA named Swanby. 34% of Swanby men worked as a Truck Driver.

View Census Data for Swanby | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Truck Driver
    34%
  • Auto Mechanic
    34%
  • Laborer
    34%

What Swanby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 641 census records available for the last name Swanby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swanby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swanby

Passenger Lists

There are 53 immigration records available for the last name Swanby. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 83 military records available for the last name Swanby. For the veterans among your Swanby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Swanby lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Swanby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1987. The average life expectancy for Swanby in 1957 was 68, and 58 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swanby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swanby 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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