Surname Swinnerton - Meaning and Origin

Swinnerton: What does the surname Swinnerton mean?

The surname Swinnerton is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derived from the Old English pre 7th century words "swin" meaning "pig" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." So, it potentially refers to a place where pigs were reared or kept. The term "tun" is commonly seen in English place names, indicating settlement names that date back to the Anglo-Saxon period. The name Swinnerton is also associated with a place in Staffordshire, England, suggesting that some bearers of the surname could have been named after the location. As a locational surname, it could have been used to identify individuals who migrated from their birthplace and settled somewhere else.

Swinnerton: Where does the name Swinnerton come from?

The last name Swinnerton is most commonly found today in the United Kingdom. According to the UK Census of 2011, there were roughly 1,353 people with the Swinnerton surname living in the UK. The name is particularly prominent in the northeast of England, with the highest concentration of Swinnertons being found in the city of Sunderland and neighbouring County Durham. In the United States, there were 358 Swinnerton households, though the surname is much less common in the US than in the UK.

Swinnerton can also be found in other parts of Europe. The name is more common in Germany, the Netherlands, and France than in other European countries. The highest concentration of Swinnerton households in Germany is located around the city of Münster. Those with the Swinnerton surname living in the Netherlands are concentrated primarily around the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. Meanwhile, French Swinnertons are most often found in and around Bordeaux.

Finally, Swinnerton can also be found in other far-flung countries around the world, though it is considerably less common outside of Europe. The name is present in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as in parts of Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Variations of the surname Swinnerton

The Swinnerton surname has various spellings, suffixes, and variants stemming from a variety of origins.

The earliest version of this surname can be found in Old English records, spelling it as Swynnerton. From there it condensed to the present day version of Swinnerton, or even Synnerdine in old records.

In addition, several different suffixes can be found attached to the main spelling. The most common of these are -s, -son, -stone, -stoun and -stow. These variants of the surname can be found in records from many English counties such as Buckinghamshire, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Warwickshire.

The Swinnerton surname could also have been derived from other European language variations such as Szenteshelyi or Šveinerte from Hungary; Swienszyn from Poland; and Swinarnen or Swinern from Germany.

Two distinct Swinnerton branches established themselves in Ireland in the 1600s; one in Kilkenny and the other in Armagh. Layton-Swinnerton and Swinderty are common variants which derived from these branches.

In America, the surname is often spelled Swinton. While there is no recorded process for the transition from Swinnerton to Swinton, similar variations such as Winn and Winters are also found in American records.

Famous people with the name Swinnerton

• David Swinnerton: actor, director, writer and producer
• Daisy Swinnerton: artist and costume designer
• Ellis Swinnerton: English footballer
• Arthur Swinnerton: English Liberal politician
• Juliet Swinnerton: British fashion designer
• Phil Swinnerton: British filmmaker
• George Swinnerton Parker: founder of Parker Brothers (board game company)
• John Swinnerton: English author and professional genealogist
• Esther Swinnerton: American artist
• William Edward Swinnerton: British politician and Member of Parliament

Other surnames

Swinner