This surname may be extinct
Swannay Surname Definition:
Agnes Swanne was "delate of superstitious goeing or kneeling about the chappell" of St. Modan's in Freswick in 1652 (Old Lore Misc., V, p. 59). Mr. J. S. Clouston says that in looking for a landed origin for an Orkney name "this caution must always be remembered, that in almost every case the family at some time or another can be found on or near the land in question; so that if careful search shows no trace of such a connection we had better look for some other derivation.
Read More About This SurnameSwannay Surname Distribution Map
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 6 | 1:623,869 | 16,225 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | 1:50,218,684 | 817,899 |
Swannay Surname Meaning
From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history
Agnes Swanne was "delate of superstitious goeing or kneeling about the chappell" of St. Modan's in Freswick in 1652 (Old Lore Misc., V, p. 59). Mr. J. S. Clouston says that in looking for a landed origin for an Orkney name "this caution must always be remembered, that in almost every case the family at some time or another can be found on or near the land in question; so that if careful search shows no trace of such a connection we had better look for some other derivation. On these grounds, "he says, "I do not think that Swannay is derived from either Swona or from Swannay in Birsay, but is a truncated form of Swaneson (Swein frequently lingers in old deeds as Swane). The surname is found in many parts of Orkney, but never-so far as I have discovered—in either of these places" (ibid., V, p. 64-65). By some bearers of the name in Orkney the name is shortened to Swan (Weekly Scotsman, January, 1936). As forename: Swannie Guthrumson in Moull, Unst, Shetland, 1625 (Shetland).
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Footnotes
- Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
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- Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Swannay
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