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Swords Family History

Swords Surname Meaning

English Scottish and Irish: variant of Sword with post-medieval excrescent -s.

Irish: adopted for Irish Ó Claimhín (see Clavin) by folk-etymological association with claidheamh ‘sword’.

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


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Where is the Swords family from?

You can see how Swords families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swords family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Swords families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 19 Swords families living in London. This was about 20% of all the recorded Swords's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Swords families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swords 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 Swords 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 Swords. 43% of Swords men worked as a General Labourer and 54% of Swords women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swords were General Labourer Heavy Worker and Office Cleaner.

View Census Data for Swords | 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
    43%
  • Coal Hewer Below Ground Heavy Worker
    29%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    54%
  • Housewife
    10%
  • Private Means
    10%
  • Office Cleaner
    7%

What Swords family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Swords. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swords census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swords

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Swords. For the veterans among your Swords ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swords military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swords family history

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What is the average Swords lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Swords life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Swords in 1951 was 35, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swords

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swords 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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