Explore the Family Name Swasey
The meaning of Swasey
English: Anglicized form of an unidentified surname, possibly German Schweitzer or Dutch Swijs, rare patronymic from Wijs ‘wise’ (see Wise). The surname Swasey is no longer found in Britain. Compare Swayze, Swazey, Sweazy, Sweezey, and Swezey. History: The name was brought to North America by John Swasey, a Quaker who came from England to Salem, MA, with two sons, John and Joseph, in or before 1640. Banished from Salem because of his religious beliefs, he moved first to Setauket, Long Island, NY, and subsequently to Southold, Long Island. His son Joseph, who remained in MA and inherited his estate at Salem, kept the surname form Swasey, while John, Jr, adopted the form Swayze.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Swasey in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Swasey has experienced a marginal decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 23,207th most popular surname, while in 2010, its rank slid slightly to the 23,283rd position, showing a change of -0.33%. Despite this, the count of individuals with the Swasey surname increased from 1,026 in 2000 to 1,094 in 2010, indicating a rise of about 6.63%. However, the proportion per 100,000 people dropped by approximately 2.63%, falling from 0.38 in 2000 to 0.37 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,207 | #23,283 | -0.33% |
| Count | 1,026 | 1,094 | 6.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.38 | 0.37 | -2.63% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Swasey
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that there have been some significant shifts among those bearing the Swasey surname between 2000 and 2010. The proportion identifying as White decreased from 84.31% in 2000 to 77.15% in 2010, a change of -8.49%. Meanwhile, the percentage of those who identify as Black significantly increased from 8.48% to 14.53%, demonstrating a substantial rise of 71.34%. Those identifying as Hispanic also saw an increase from 4.19% to 4.66%. Conversely, the representation of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities were not significant in either census year, and those identifying with two or more races experienced a drop from 2.53% to 2.01%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.31% | 77.15% | -8.49% |
| Black | 8.48% | 14.53% | 71.34% |
| Hispanic | 4.19% | 4.66% | 11.22% |
| Two or More Races | 2.53% | 2.01% | -20.55% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |