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Swanson Family History

Swanson Surname Meaning

Americanized form of Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and North German Svensson and Norwegian and Danish Svensen or Svendsen, cognates of Scottish (Caithness) and English: from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Swan, an Anglicized form of Old Norse Sveinn (from sveinn ‘lad’) + -son.

In northern England, Middle English Swanson was in fact an occasional variant of Swainson. In some cases, the name may also arise from Middle English swan(e) and swon(e) ‘swineherd, peasant, male servant’ (Old English swān) + -son, but this is unlikely to be the usual origin.

See Swan.

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 Swanson family from?

You can see how Swanson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swanson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Swanson families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 180 Swanson families living in London. This was about 27% of all the recorded Swanson's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Swanson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swanson 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 Swanson 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 Swanson. 17% of Swanson men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Swanson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swanson were Mental Nurse and Private Means.

View Census Data for Swanson | 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
    17%
  • Incapacitated
    10%
  • Builders Labourer Heavy Worker
    7%
  • Mental Nurse
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Swanson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 368,000 census records available for the last name Swanson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swanson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swanson

Passenger Lists

There are 69,000 immigration records available for the last name Swanson. 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 Swanson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 66,000 military records available for the last name Swanson. For the veterans among your Swanson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swanson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swanson family history

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What is the average Swanson lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Swanson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Swanson in 1941 was 40, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swanson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swanson 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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