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Swanton Family History

Swanton Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Swanton Court in Sevington, Swanton in Lydden, Swanton Farm in Littlebourne (all Kent), or any of the three places in Norfolk called Swanton (Swanton Abbott, Swanton Morley, and Swanton Novers).

The placenames mean ‘the farmstead of the herdsmen’ from Old English swāna, genitive plural of swān ‘herdsman, peasant’ + tūn ‘farmstead, estate’.

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


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Where is the Swanton family from?

You can see how Swanton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swanton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Swanton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 79 Swanton families living in London. This was about 27% of all the recorded Swanton's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Swanton families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swanton 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 Swanton ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Swanton. 43% of Swanton men worked as a Farmer and 79% of Swanton women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swanton were Dairy Farmer and Actress.

View Census Data for Swanton | 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

  • Farmer
    43%
  • General Labourer
    29%
  • Aircraft Engineer
    15%
  • Dairy Farmer
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Actress
    3%

What Swanton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Swanton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swanton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swanton

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Swanton. 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 Swanton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Swanton. For the veterans among your Swanton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swanton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swanton family history

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What is the average Swanton lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Swanton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Swanton in 1947 was 37, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swanton

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swanton 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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