2000
#22,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,047
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Swails
A surname derived from a topographic name for someone who lived near a marsh or swale.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,169 Americans carry the last name Swails. That puts it at #25,434 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 293,203 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swails surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 293,203
Census rank
#25,434
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,019 bearers of the surname Swails in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25434th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swails, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swails
The surname SWAILS has its origins in England, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "swale," which referred to a low-lying, marshy area or a valley between hills. The name likely originated as a topographic name, given to individuals who resided in or near such geographic features.
The earliest recorded instances of the SWAILS surname can be found in various historical documents from the Middle Ages. One notable mention is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1379, where a certain "Robertus de Swale" is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and may have been associated with a specific location called Swale.
Another significant reference to the SWAILS name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name is recorded as "Swaledale," referring to a valley in the Yorkshire Dales region of northern England. This lends credence to the theory that the surname originated as a place name, possibly derived from the Old Norse words "svalr" meaning "cold" and "dalr" meaning "valley."
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the SWAILS surname. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Robert de Swale (c. 1290 - c. 1350), a prominent English landowner and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War. Another notable figure was John Swale (1547 - 1622), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Eton College.
In the 18th century, William Swale (1701 - 1783) gained recognition as a successful merchant and plantation owner in Jamaica. He was also a prominent member of the local Anglican church and played a significant role in the development of the island's infrastructure.
Moving into the 19th century, George Swale (1818 - 1892) was a distinguished English architect and surveyor who contributed to the design of several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History Museum.
Lastly, in the 20th century, Sir Michael Swale (1920 - 2002) was a highly respected British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Ambassador to the United Nations and played a crucial role in various international negotiations and peacekeeping efforts.
While the SWAILS surname may not be among the most common in modern times, its rich history and connections to various regions of England, as well as its representation by notable individuals across different fields, illustrate the enduring legacy of this name and its deep roots in the country's cultural and geographic landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swails
Among Census respondents with the surname Swails, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Swails bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Swails surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.4% · 819
- Black or African American11.5% · 117
- Two or more races4.2% · 43
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swails
Swails appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#23,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,064
+17 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 935 places
2020
#25,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,019
-45 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 1,666 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,833 | 1,047 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,768 | 1,064 | 0.36 | +17 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 935 places |
| 2020 | #25,434 | 1,019 | 0.34 | -45 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 1,666 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Swails surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,768 | #25,434 | -7.0% |
| Count | 1,064 | 1,019 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.36 | 0.34 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swails bearers went from 1,064 to 1,019 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 1,666 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,768 to #25,434.
FAQ
Swails surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swails?
Name Census estimates that about 1,169 living Americans carry the surname Swails. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 293,203 residents.
How common is Swails?
Swails ranks #25,434 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,019 people with the surname Swails. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Swails.
Has Swails become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swails went from 1,064 recorded bearers to 1,019. That is a decrease of 45 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #23,768 to #25,434.
What does the Census say about the background of Swails?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swails, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Swails in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (819 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swails appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.4%), Black (11.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Swails (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Swails mean?
A surname derived from a topographic name for someone who lived near a marsh or swale. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Swails (0.34 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Swails?
Find out how many people have the surname Swails on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.