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Swanger Family History

Swanger Name Meaning

Perhaps an altered form of German Schwanger from Swano a short form of an ancient Germanic compound personal name formed with swan ‘swan’ or directly from this word. Perhaps an Americanized form of German Zwanger from Middle High German zwange ‘pliers’ hence an occupational name for a maker or user of pliers or maybe a nickname for someone with very strong hands.

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


Similar surnames: Stanger, Sanger, Swinger, Swonger, Zanger, Ranger, Slinger, Manger

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Swanger family from?

You can see how Swanger families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swanger family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Swanger families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 5 Swanger families living in Quebec. This was about 33% of all the recorded Swanger's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Swanger families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swanger surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Swanger ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Swanger. 26% of Swanger men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Swanger women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swanger were Carpenter and Housework. .

View Census Data for Swanger | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    26%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Truck Driver
    5%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    15%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Housework
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Swanger family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Swanger. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swanger census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Swanger

Passenger Lists

There are 375 immigration records available for the last name Swanger. 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 Swanger immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Swanger. For the veterans among your Swanger ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swanger military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swanger family history

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What is the average Swanger lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Swanger life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Swanger in 1945 was 30, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swanger

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