Swan
Swans are birds of the genus Cygnus within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae, forming the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae. They are the largest waterfowl and are often among the largest flighted birds in their range.
Meaning & Origin of Swan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Swans are birds of the genus Cygnus within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae, forming the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae. They are the largest waterfowl and are often among the largest flighted birds in their range.
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The Story of Swan
As a girl name
Swan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1969, with 7 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1983: 8 births, good for #7,310 nationwide. About 32% of every Swan on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Swan last appeared in the published SSA data in 2018, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 78 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Swan as a boy name dates back to 1889, when 5 babies received it. 1925 was its biggest year on record, with 11 newborns named Swan — #2,588 in the national rankings. About 48% of every Swan on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Swan last appeared in the published SSA data in 2014, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 124 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Swan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Swan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Swan
What does the name Swan mean?
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About the name Swan
Swan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1889 and has accumulated 124 births in the dataset. Swan's peak popularity came in 1925 when it ranked #2,588. Use the chart and map above to compare Swan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1925 →
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Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.