Swallen
A surname derived from a location or place name containing the element "swale," meaning a low, marshy area.
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Swallen. That puts it at #142,819 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swallen 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.
Swallen appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#142,819
2000 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Swallen in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142819th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swallen
The surname Swallen is believed to have its origins in Anglo-Saxon England, dating back to the early medieval period. It originates from the Old English words and phonetics that were prevalent in England before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The earliest roots of the name are often associated with the words "swellan," meaning to swell, which could point to either the physical characteristic of someone or a geographical feature like a hill or mound.
Swallen initially appeared in historical records as Swellan or Swallon. One of the earliest documented references to a variant of this surname appears in the 12th century, specifically in the Pipe Rolls of England, where a Richard Swallon was mentioned. These rolls, which were the records of the royal treasury, mark the name's importance and its bearer’s likely involvement in significant local affairs. By the 14th century, the surname Swallen appeared in various forms across several counties in England, such as Sussex and Kent.
Throughout history, the name Swallen can be traced through various documents. For instance, the Subsidy Rolls of the 16th century, which were tax records, mentioned a John Swallen in 1524 in Sussex. This indicates that the family was settled and had some standing within their community. Another early recording is of William Swallen, who appeared in the 1586 muster rolls of Kent, signifying his involvement in the defense efforts during the time of the Spanish Armada.
One notable individual with the surname Swallen is Sir Thomas Swallen (1610-1674), who was a prominent figure in the English Civil War. As a staunch royalist, he played a significant role in several key battles. Records from the era highlight his contributions and further solidify the presence of the Swallen surname in historical contexts. Another important figure is Margaret Swallen (1762-1835), a known Quaker who advocated for social reforms and was instrumental in setting up educational institutions in her county.
The name Swallen also traveled overseas, likely during the periods of English colonization. An example is Daniel Swallen (1790-1858), who migrated to the American colonies in the early 19th century, establishing a farm in what is now Pennsylvania. His descendants contributed to the early agricultural development of the region.
By the 19th century, the surname Swallen had become established not only in England but also in the United States, reflecting the movement and settlement patterns of its bearers. Each of these individuals and records provides a snapshot of the endurance and adaptation of the Swallen surname over centuries, marking its significance in various historical, geographical, and social contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swallen
Among Census respondents with the surname Swallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Swallen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Swallen surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0%
- Unknown or suppressed1.0%
FAQ
Swallen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swallen?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Swallen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Swallen?
Swallen ranks #142,819 in the 2000 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 2000 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Swallen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Swallen.
Has Swallen become more or less common over time?
Swallen appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Swallen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. These figures come from the 2000 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 Swallen in the 2000 Census, accounting for 99.0%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swallen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are White (99.0%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Swallen appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Swallen mean?
A surname derived from a location or place name containing the element "swale," meaning a low, marshy area. 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 2000 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 Swallen (0.04 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 many people share the surname Swallen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.