2000
#4,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,655
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.84
Rare Last name
Swank
An English occupational surname referring to a laborer or servant, from the Old English word "swancor," meaning laborious.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,537 Americans carry the last name Swank. That puts it at #4,622 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,149 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swank 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
8.5K
1 in 40,149
Census rank
#4,622
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,445 bearers of the surname Swank in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4622nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swank, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swank
The surname Swank is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "swanken," which means "to sway" or "to oscillate." This name likely originated in the 14th or 15th century and was initially an occupational name for a dancer or someone whose occupation involved swaying or rhythmic movements.
Swank is first recorded as a surname in German-speaking regions of Central Europe, particularly in areas such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Swabia. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Hans Swank, a farmer from the village of Kirchheim in Swabia, mentioned in records dating back to the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, including the Kirchenbücher (church records) of several German towns and villages. For instance, a certain Johann Swank was recorded as a resident of the town of Esslingen in Württemberg in 1563.
The Swank surname eventually spread to other parts of Europe, and it can be found in various old records and manuscripts across the continent. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Bürgerverzeichnisse (citizen registers) of the city of Vienna, Austria, in the late 17th century.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Swank have achieved recognition in various fields. One of the earliest was Johannes Swank (1592-1670), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden.
Another notable bearer of the name was Karl Swank (1837-1900), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Swank Company, a successful manufacturer of men's accessories and jewelry based in New York City.
In the realm of literature, the name Swank is associated with Theodor Swank (1858-1932), a German-American writer and journalist who authored several books on social and political topics.
The 20th century saw the rise of prominent figures like Gloria Swanson (1899-1983), an American actress and producer who became a renowned star of the silent film era, and Walter Swank (1910-1970), an American artist known for his paintings and illustrations.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the contribution of Dr. Roy L. Swank (1909-2008), an American neurologist and researcher who pioneered the study of dietary interventions for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, introducing the "Swank Diet" for managing the condition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swank
Among Census respondents with the surname Swank, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Swank 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 Swank surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 6,751
- Two or more races3.7% · 276
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 255
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 59
- Black or African American0.6% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swank
Swank 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
#4,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,832
+177 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.66
Rank movement Down 238 places
2020
#4,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,445
-387 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 2.49
Rank movement Down 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,288 | 7,655 | 2.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,526 | 7,832 | 2.66 | +177 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 238 places |
| 2020 | #4,622 | 7,445 | 2.49 | -387 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 96 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 Swank 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 | #4,526 | #4,622 | -2.1% |
| Count | 7,832 | 7,445 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.66 | 2.49 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swank bearers went from 7,832 to 7,445 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,526 to #4,622.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Swank
FAQ
Swank surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swank?
Name Census estimates that about 8,537 living Americans carry the surname Swank. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,149 residents.
How common is Swank?
Swank ranks #4,622 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,445 people with the surname Swank. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,537), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Swank.
Has Swank become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swank went from 7,832 recorded bearers to 7,445. That is a decrease of 387 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,526 to #4,622.
What does the Census say about the background of Swank?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swank, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Swank in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (6,751 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swank appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Swank (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 Swank mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a laborer or servant, from the Old English word "swancor," meaning laborious. 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 Swank (2.49 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 have the surname Swank?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.