Surname Swainson - Meaning and Origin
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Swainson: What does the surname Swainson mean?
The surname Swainson is of Old Norse origin. It is derived from the pre-7th century personal name "Sveinn," or "Sven," which translates to "boy" or "servant." The suffix "son" indicates "son of," so the name effectively means "son of Sveinn." The name was popular amongst the Viking invaders who settled large parts of Northern and Eastern England stemming from the 8th century. It has different variations including Swan, Swann, Swanner, and Swanson. This name became particularly popular in areas of England with heavy Scandinavian influence and remains common in those areas today.
Order DNA origin analysisSwainson: Where does the name Swainson come from?
The last name Swainson is relatively common throughout England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
In England, the Swainson name can be found in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and London. In Wales, the name is most commonly found in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. In Ireland, the name is most commonly found in Wexford and Limerick.
In Scotland, Swainson is most commonly found in Aberdeenshire and the lowlands. In Australia the name is most frequent in the state of Victoria. In the United States, the name is most frequently seen in states such as New York, California, Florida, and Pennsylvania but is also common in other states.
In Canada, the last name Swainson is most common in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces.
The name Swainson is likely derived from the Anglo-Saxon word swain, which meant 'servant', 'slave', or 'young man'. The name is also linked to locations containing the word 'swine', indicating a place where pigs were kept.
The Swainson surname is also connected to several noble lineages, with the earliest documented records of the name in the Harleian manuscripts in England in the fifteenth century.
Overall, the last name Swainson is quite common throughout England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
Variations of the surname Swainson
The surname Swainson has a variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
Swainson is an English and Scottish surname, which is derived from the masculine given name Sweyn. This name, as well as the surnames associated with it, has a variety of spellings, which include Swainson, Swains, Swain, Swayne, Sweaney, Sweany, Swayn, Swayne, Swann, Swannell, Swainson and Swainston.
Another old variant of Swainson is Swinson. This is an English patronymic surname, which is derived from the Saxon surname, Swin. This variant has a variety of spellings, which include Swanson, Swansoon, Swenson, and Sweeny.
The name Sweyn was taken into English and Scandinavian countries as a given name during the High Middle Ages. This is likely where the surname derived from. It is a shortened form of the Old Norse name Sveinn, which means ‘boy’ or ‘servant’. This explains why the surname is found in many English and Scandinavian countries.
The variants of Swainson are also found in other countries, such as Germany and France. The German variant is Schwens, while the French variant is Swance.
The Swainson surname can be traced back to the twelfth century in England, and in some instances, this surname is derived from an area where rabbits (Swaines) were common. The Swainson variants can also be traced back to northern England, where they were first found.
Famous people with the name Swainson
- William Swainson: a British born naturalist, illustrator, entomologist and ornithologist from the early 19th century.
- John Swainson: Former Governor of Michigan from 1961-1963 and was elected as a Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court in 1969.
- Donald Swainson: British-Canadian former professional ice hockey player.
- Henry T. Swainson: a Brooklyn-based lawyer and state senator who served the 30th District of New York for four consecutive terms.
- William Swainson- Australian behavioural ecologist for the Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science.
- Florence Mary Swainson: the first professional female geologist in the UK.
- Pae Swainson: a New Zealand broadcaster, journalist, and media executive.
- Frances Swainson: the first woman to be admitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.
- Alfred Swainson: a notable British businessman and civil engineer who founded and developed the London clouds lithographic printing company.
- Laura Swainson: a professional aerial acrobat currently based in the UK.