History of your Surname
Get access to Swart family records.Start a free trial

Swart Family History

Swart Name Meaning

Dutch and English: nickname for a dark-haired or dark-skinned man from Middle Dutch zwart swert Middle English swart ‘dark swarthy’ (Old English sweart). This surname is also established in South Africa.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Zwart, Smart, Star, Warm, Ewart, Spark, Swift, Short, Starr, Swartz

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Swart family from?

You can see how Swart families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swart family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Swart families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 110 Swart families living in New York. This was about 75% of all the recorded Swart's in USA. New York had the highest population of Swart families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swart surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Swart ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Swart. 19% of Swart men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Swart women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swart were Clerk and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Swart | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    19%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    14%
  • Teacher
    11%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Swart family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 34,000 census records available for the last name Swart. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swart census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Swart

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Swart. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Swart immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Swart. For the veterans among your Swart ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swart military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swart family history

Discover More

What is the average Swart lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Swart life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Swart in 1944 was 26, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swart

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Swart family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Swart last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial