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Swinney Family History

Swinney Surname Meaning

English (Northumberland and Durham): variant of Swinhoe, a habitational name from Swinhoe in Bamburgh (Northumberland) from Old English swīn ‘swine pig’ + hōh ‘heel spur of land’.

Irish: perhaps by assimilation a variant of Sweeney (Mac Suibhne).

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


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Where is the Swinney family from?

You can see how Swinney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swinney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Swinney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 140 Swinney families living in Northumberland. This was about 34% of all the recorded Swinney's in United Kingdom. Northumberland had the highest population of Swinney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swinney 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 Swinney 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 Swinney. 48% of Swinney men worked as a General Labourer and 82% of Swinney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swinney were Retired and Unpaid Household Duties.

View Census Data for Swinney | 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
    48%
  • Salmon Et Fisher
    11%
  • Railway Signalman
    11%
  • Retired
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Unpaid Home Duties
    2%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    2%

What Swinney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Swinney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swinney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swinney

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Swinney. 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 Swinney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Swinney. For the veterans among your Swinney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swinney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swinney family history

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What is the average Swinney lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Swinney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Swinney in 1946 was 35, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swinney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swinney 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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