Swann
Usually a surname from the bird name “swan,” sometimes a nickname or sign-name, and in some cases a spelling related to Swain.
The #2,916 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,116 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is most commonly connected with the word for the bird swan, from Old English and related Germanic forms. Medieval records show it as both a nickname and a sign-name, as in forms like “le Swan,” and some writers also treated it as a variant of Swain rather than a direct bird-name surname. The name may also reflect the bird’s use in medieval heraldry and tavern signs.
History
Early forms appear in medieval English records, and the name has long been recorded in both England and Scotland. Nineteenth-century surname scholars debated whether every example came from the bird-name or whether some belong with Swain, so the surname has more than one possible origin line. The spelling Swann became established alongside Swan and related forms.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Medieval heraldic writers and antiquarians noted that the swan was a familiar badge and tavern sign, which helped make it a productive source of surnames.
From the historical record
“SWAN 1 (Eng. and Scand.) i a nickname SWANN \iTom the Swan [O.E. swan ~ SWANNE JO.N. s»a«-y] Henry le Swan. — Rolls of Pari. 2 a sign-name. Thomas atte Swan. — Close Rolls. 3 = Swain, q.v. SWANCOCK = Swan (q.v.) + the pet suff.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)