History of your Surname
Get access to Swain family records.Start a free trial

Swain Family History

Swain Name Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Swain Swein (Old Norse Sveinn Sven from sveinn ‘lad’). 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 Irish: when not the English name possibly an Anglicized form of Mac Suibhne; see McSwain .

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


Similar surnames: Swan, Stein, Spain, Hain, Savin, Mcswain, Cain, Stain, Wein, Slavin

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Swain family from?

You can see how Swain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Swain families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 245 Swain families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Swain's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Swain families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swain surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Swain ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Swain. 33% of Swain men worked as a Farmer and 29% of Swain women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swain were Machinist and Farmer. .

View Census Data for Swain | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    33%
  • Labourer
    14%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Machinist
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Student
    29%
  • Operator
    15%
  • Saleslady
    15%
  • Farmer
    15%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Swain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 241,000 census records available for the last name Swain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Swain

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Swain. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Swain immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Swain. For the veterans among your Swain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swain family history

Discover More

What is the average Swain lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Swain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Swain in 1940 was 42, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swain

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Swain family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Swain last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial