Surname Swingley - Meaning and Origin

Swingley: What does the surname Swingley mean?

The last name Swingley is of French origin, and can be traced back to the region of Auvergne, specifically a small town called St. Dahl. The name Swingley is believed to be derived from ‘sanglier’, a French word meaning ‘wild boar’, suggesting that the original bearers of the surname were hunters.

The 'Swing' part of the name is derived from the Old French ‘swingier’, meaning ‘to warble or sing’. This fits with the notion that the original Swingley bearers had a great appreciation for nature and song. From this we can deduce that the Swingley’s are a people with a deep connection to the natural world and a great love for music and song.

The ‘ley’ part of the name is derived from Old French ‘leu’ meaning ‘wooded’ or ‘foresty’. This part of the name reflects the Swingley’s intense close relationship to nature, and suggests that love and appreciation of Mother Nature is of paramount importance to them.

In summary, the name Swingley is believed to be derived from Old French words for ‘wild boar’ and ‘to warble or sing’, with the final part of the name coming from the Old French 'leu', meaning ‘wooded’ or ‘foresty’. This gives us an insight into the original bearers of the name, suggesting that they had connection to nature and love of music were of key importance to them.

Swingley: Where does the name Swingley come from?

The last name Swingley is found across the United States in a variety of regions including the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southwest. It is most concentrated in the Midwest in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. It is also commonly found in Missouri, Nebraska, and Tennessee.

In Wisconsin, Swingley is the 140th most common surname, while in Michigan it is the 327th most common. In Illinois, it is the 298th most popular last name.

Swingley is often cited as a Swiss-German origin surname, but other Germanic countries such as Austria and the Czech Republic also have families with this surname.

In Pennsylvania and Maryland, Swingley is found mostly in the southern part of these states, further supporting the Germanic origin.

In the Midwest, the presence of the surname is significantly higher for those of Germanic descent, although there are also other Swingleys not of German descent.

Swingley is also found in other regions of the United States. In the Southwest, the name is commmonly found in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. In the South Atlantic region, it is found in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Variations of the surname Swingley

Swingley is an old English toponymic surname that originates from the place of Swingleigh in Devon, England. Over the years, the spelling of the surname has been adapted and changed depending on the area or country in which it is used. In some instances, Swingley might be spelt as Swinglee, Swinely, Swinly, Swingly, Swinley and Swangleigh. It is also possible to find surnames with the same origin as Swingley, such as Swingle, Swinley, Swinglea, Swingleigh, Swinglea and Swinglei.

In most cases, the variants and spellings of Swingley are pronounced the same way and have a similar meaning. The main difference between the variants of Swingley lies in the specific spelling used for the particular region or country they are used in.

In the United States, the most common variant of Swingley is Swingley, which is primarily found in the south-eastern part of the country. Variants such as Swingle, Swinley, Swinglea, Swingleigh, Swinglea and Swinglei are also quite popular in the United States, but the common spelling is still Swingley.

In the United Kingdom, the most common spelling of Swingley is Swingleigh, which has remained unchanged since the area of Swingleigh in Devon, England, first derived the surname. Swinly, Swinglee and Swinley are all popular variants of Swingley in the UK as well.

In other countries outside of the UK and the US, it is not uncommon to find variants of Swingley as well, such as Swingley, Swinleigh, Swingly and Swangleigh. It is important to keep in mind that although these variants are very similar in meaning to each other, they will still be pronounced differently in different countries.

Famous people with the name Swingley

• Steelman Swingley: Steelman Swingley was a composer active in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He mostly composed music for silent films and has composed for nearly 80 films.
• Scott Swingley: Scott Swingley is an American professional mixed martial artist (MMA), who last competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
• Steve Swingley: Steve Swingley is a Paralympic swimmer from the United States. He has competed in several Paralympic events, winning a bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Paralympics for the Men’s 50m Freestyle.
• Kimberly Swingley: Kimberly Swingley is a recognized contemporary Christian recording artist and songwriter. Her 2009 album “Fragile Wings” received a GMA Dove Award for Inspirational Album of the Year.
• George Swingley: George Swingley was an American baskeball player who played in the American Basketball League in the late 1940s and 1950s. He won an ABL championship with the Chicago Gears in 1947.
• Barry Swingley: Barry Swingley is an American songwriter and record producer, known for his work on projects by artists such as Janet Jackson, 2Pac, and Michael Jackson.
• Michael Swingley: Michael Swingley is an American child actor. He's best known for his role in the 1978 film The Wanderers.

Other surnames

SwingleSwingly