Swain is used as a family name or surname in Scotland, Ireland. It is 5 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Swain
No. of characters: 5
Origin: Scotland, Ireland
Meaning:

Lastname Swain is the variant of the Swonnell. See Swannell - 1. Considered by scholars to be a diminutive of Swan. The corresponding name Suanila is found in Germany so early as the VII century. 2. Perhaps from swan, and hals, 'swan-necked,' a complimentary epithet sometimes applied to Anglo-Saxon ladies.

A variant form of Swan. 1. Perhaps the same as Swaine - 1. A Scandinavian personal name of great antiquity, introduced here under the Danish rule. Domesday shows us several persons (tenants in chief and otherwise) called Svain, Suain, Suanus, Suuen, Swen or Sueno, some of whom are specifically stated to have held lands under Edward the Confessor. Suain of Essex, supposed by Morant to have been of Danish origin, was ancestor of the famous Henry de Essex, temp. Henry II. 2. The Anglo-Saxon swán meaning a pastoral servant. The forms in the Rotuli Hundredorum are Le Swein, Le Sweyn, and Sweyn

2. The bird was famous in old heroic times, both as a dainty of the table, and as an heraldric badge. Edward III used to swear by it. One Bartholomew le Swan occurs in the archives of Battel Abbey. 3. Srán, Anglo-Saxon, a herdsman or pastoral servant.

The Anglo-Saxon swán, a pastoral servant, and the Scand. Sweyn, a proper name originally of the same import, have impressed themselves upon many localities, which in their turn have given designations to families. Among those which do not occur in gazetteers are Swainston, Swainsland (now Swaysland), Swanston, and others.

The is a form of Swem. Dweller at the sign of the swan.

The man who acted as a servant or attendant; one who tended swine; descendant of Swain meaning "young man, or boy sevrant".

Surname is form of Swan. Dweller at the sign of the swan; the swain, a servant; descendant of Sevinn or Swan meaning "knight's attendant"; one who kept swans.

The variant of Sain. Sound or healthy of the Count's wood.

How popular is Swain?

Swain is common in India, United States, England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Wales, Bahamas, Northern Ireland, Qatar, Scotland, Kuwait, Mexico, Thailand, France, Oman.

Swain is ranked 790 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Swain bearers increased by 3.87 per cent in 2010 US census to 25157 since 2000, the surname slipped by 74 spots and ranked at 1412. The last name was found in around 9 per hundred thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 66.17 69.45
Black 26.79 25.73
Hispanic or Latino 2.61 1.56
Others 2.4 1.92
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 1.22 0.64
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81 0.69
Swain is quite popular family name mostly used in India while Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is ahead in terms of density. Around 670179 people have been found who wears Swain as their family name. Swain is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with hundred thousands of Swain:
125 India614,512
Countries with ten thousands of Swain:
1,343 United States33,076
695 England11,142
Countries with thousands of Swain:
1,076 Australia3,686
2,160 Canada2,500
Countries with hundreds of Swain:
973 New Zealand769
12,797 South Africa511
2,240 United Arab Emirates481
10,708 Saudi Arabia437
809 Wales426
182 Bahamas412
1,342 Northern Ireland233
1,206 Qatar215
2,946 Scotland193
3,584 Kuwait135
12,537 Mexico135
92,379 Thailand132
71,022 France130
2,360 Oman110
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
1,406 Hong Kong98
19 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha73
4,582 Bahrain59
33,799 Spain56
89,144 Germany55
113,080 Brazil51
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
4,783 Singapore47
138,859 Philippines35
664 Jersey29
1,021 Malta24
510 Marshall Islands24
14,824 Dominican Republic23
767 Guernsey22
4,061 Guyana18
9,887 Ireland17
20,476 Chile17
4,443 China17
59,260 Zimbabwe17
74,511 Malaysia16
322,587 Russia15
27,097 Denmark14
356,066 Indonesia14
6,588 Trinidad and Tobago14
724 South Korea13
145,016 Argentina11
259,204 Nigeria11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
132,137 Poland10
73,605 Sweden10
20,027 Ecuador9
88,902 Netherlands8
1,286 Bermuda7
991 Gibraltar6
10,051 Panama6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

During the great famine, 48 years old weaver William Swain who was residing in Ireland migrated to New-York on March 26, 1849 by Arrick put out from Dublin. Jane Swain, aged 33, Ann Swain (4), Jno. Swain (25) Workman, 50 years old Mary Swain, Workman Thomas Swain, Workman William Swain, John Swain (27) Immigrant, Patrick Swain (21) Workman, are others that migrated to US from Dublin, Liverpool, Belfast and London.

From Germany

Caspar Swain was 43 years old when he migrated to New-York on April 6, 1866. He lived in Germany where he worked as laborer and took Scotland from Liverpool. Ereth Swain, aged 42, 28 years old Emma Swain, Doctor C.A. Swain, are others that migrated to US from Liverpool, Bremen and Southampton.

Swain Namesakes

  • Jean Swain, was
  • Jon Swain, British journalist and writer
  • Gladys Swain, French psychiatrist
  • Thomas Swain, British Labour politician
  • Roger Swain, known as "the man with the red suspenders"
  • Dwight V. Swain, American author, screenwriter and teacher
  • Louisa Swain, first woman in the United States to vote
  • Paul J. Swain, current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls
  • David Lowry Swain, 26th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina
  • Diana Swain, television journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Paul Swain, New Zealand politician
  • Dominique Swain, American actress and producer
  • Jolley & Swain, successful pop musician
  • Chelse Swain, American actress
  • Mack Swain, early American film actor,
  • Luke Swain, Australian former professional rugby league footballer for the Salford City Reds of Super League
  • Richard Swain, New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s
  • Mike Swain, is one of the most successful American judokas
  • Vicky Swain, retired British professional wrestler
  • Harihar Swain, member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India
  • Mahamegha Bahan Aira Kharbela Swain, member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India
  • Jayson Swain, former American football wide receiver
  • Bennie Swain, American professional basketball player
  • Kenny Swain, English former footballer
  • John Swain, former American football cornerback
  • Beryl Swain, female motorcycle road racer from the London area
  • Garry Swain, Canadian retired professional ice hockey center

Swain Namesakes

  • Jean Swain, was
  • Jon Swain, British journalist and writer
  • Gladys Swain, French psychiatrist
  • Thomas Swain, British Labour politician
  • Roger Swain, known as "the man with the red suspenders"
  • Dwight V. Swain, American author, screenwriter and teacher
  • Louisa Swain, first woman in the United States to vote
  • Paul J. Swain, current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls
  • David Lowry Swain, 26th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina
  • Diana Swain, television journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Paul Swain, New Zealand politician
  • Dominique Swain, American actress and producer
  • Jolley & Swain, successful pop musician
  • Chelse Swain, American actress
  • Mack Swain, early American film actor,
  • Luke Swain, Australian former professional rugby league footballer for the Salford City Reds of Super League
  • Richard Swain, New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s
  • Mike Swain, is one of the most successful American judokas
  • Vicky Swain, retired British professional wrestler
  • Harihar Swain, member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India
  • Mahamegha Bahan Aira Kharbela Swain, member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India
  • Jayson Swain, former American football wide receiver
  • Bennie Swain, American professional basketball player
  • Kenny Swain, English former footballer
  • John Swain, former American football cornerback
  • Beryl Swain, female motorcycle road racer from the London area
  • Garry Swain, Canadian retired professional ice hockey center

Related Family Names: