Explore the Family Name Swain
The meaning of Swain
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Swain, Swein (Old Norse Sveinn, Sven, from sveinn ‘lad’). 2. English: occupational name from Middle English swein ‘servant, attendant; boy, young man’ (Old Norse sveinn). The word could also denote a swineherd or a peasant in general. The name was thoroughly confused with Swan 1. 3. Irish: when not the English name, possibly an Anglicized form of Mac Suibhne; see McSwain.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Swain in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Swain' saw a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. While it was ranked 1338th in the year 2000, the ranking dropped slightly to 1412th by the year 2010, which signifies a negative change of 5.53 percent. However, the overall count of individuals carrying this surname increased from 24,220 in 2000 to 25,157 in 2010, marking an increase of 3.87 percent. Consequently, the proportion of people with the surname 'Swain' per 100,000 decreased by 5.01 percent over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,338 | #1,412 | -5.53% |
| Count | 24,220 | 25,157 | 3.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.98 | 8.53 | -5.01% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Swain
As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Swain', again based on the Decennial U.S. Census, there are noticeable changes between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander markedly increased by 90.63 percent, while the percentage identifying as Hispanic also rose significantly by 67.31 percent. Those reporting two or more races increased by 25 percent, and those identifying as Black went up by 4.12 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage identifying as White declined by 4.72 percent. Lastly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw an increase of 17.39 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 69.45% | 66.17% | -4.72% |
| Black | 25.73% | 26.79% | 4.12% |
| Hispanic | 1.56% | 2.61% | 67.31% |
| Two or More Races | 1.92% | 2.4% | 25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.64% | 1.22% | 90.63% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.81% | 17.39% |
Swain ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Swain is British & Irish, which comprises 53.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.8%) and Scandinavian (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.1% |
| French & German | 22.8% |
| Scandinavian | 4.1% |
| Other | 20.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Swain
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Swain have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.70% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
What Swain haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Swain is R-L664, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L664 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-M467, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Drake, Tucker, Curtis, Cousins, Goldsmith, Hardy, Ford, Lane, Stanton, Buck.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Swain surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Swain have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Swain" Surname 36.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Swain" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Swain" Surname 26.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Swain" Surname 18.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Swain?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Swain are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition