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Swinlay Family History

Swinlay Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Swinney, Swingley, Swilley, Finlay, Swiney, Sinay, Swinea, Sibley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Swinlay family from?

You can see how Swinlay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swinlay family name was found in Scotland between 1851 and 1901. The most Swinlay families were found in and Scotland in 1851. In 1851 there were 10 Swinlay families living in Fife. This was 100% of all the recorded Swinlay's in Scotland. Fife had the highest population of Swinlay families in 1851.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swinlay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1851
  • 1861
  • 1871
  • 1881
  • 1891
  • 1901
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What Swinlay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 83 census records available for the last name Swinlay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swinlay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swinlay

Passenger Lists

There are 6 immigration records available for the last name Swinlay. 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 Swinlay immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Swinlay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swinlay family history

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What is the average Swinlay lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swinlay 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swinlay

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