Boys' name · since 1916

Swain

71 babies named Swain in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 1973. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#19,773 of 45,481
all-time among boys
71
born since 1916
1970s
peak decade

Swain is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 71 have been recorded since 1916.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Swain has been recorded 71 times among boys since 1916, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 1987.

  • #19,773 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 71 born since 1916
  • 1970s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Swain ranks #19,773 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 71 born since 1916, peaking in the 1970s.

#19,773 of 45,481
all-time among boys
71
born since 1916
1970s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Swain's 71 recorded births place it above 56.51% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Swain's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Swain's full recorded timeline at 1944, 61% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 39% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1916, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1973 peak of 14 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Swain popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–1987

Last recorded 1987
Peak year (1973)
14
Annual births at peak, across 72 years of records
46810121416 1916191719221925192619441969197219731987 10

Swain by decade

1970s is the heaviest window (22 births, 31% of the file).

1970s was Swain's strongest decade.

22 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.

Swain births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1970s at 22 births (31% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Swain? ▼
Swain has been given to 71 babies in the U.S. since 1916, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #19,773 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 1987. 14 babies were born in 1973, its single highest year.
Where does Swain sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Swain ranks #19,773 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Swain most popular? ▼
Swain was most popular in the 1970s decade with 22 total births. The single peak year was 1973.
How long has the name Swain been used? ▼
Swain has been recorded in Social Security data since 1916, spanning 72 years of data through 1987.
What names are similar to Swain? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Swayze, Swayde, Swade, Swan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Swain's data

  • Swain's usage has stayed within range of its 1970s decade-level peak (22 total births) through the 1980s (10) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Swain

Nearby Names Like Swain

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Swain

Swayze Boy
#3623 254 births
Swayde Boy
#2055 227 births
Swade Boy
#4096 194 births
Swan Boy
124 births
Swanson Boy
121 births

Compare Swain side by side: Swain vs Swayze Swain vs Swayde Swain vs Swade

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Reedy
71 births · Peak 1912
Ether
71 births · Peak 1922
Faust
71 births · Peak 1917
Strother
71 births · Peak 1919
Prospero
71 births · Peak 1928
Ruford
71 births · Peak 1922
Dorsel
71 births · Peak 1919
Vennie
71 births · Peak 1957

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Swain: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1916–1987 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Swain draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.