Swope History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German state of Bavaria is the ancestral home of the Swope family. Swope is a local name. Swope is a name for someone who lived in Swabia, a medieval dukedom that was in southwestern Germany. This is a regional name for a person who was form Swabia having derived from the Germanic word Schwaben, which means Swabian and is derived from the name of the Germanic tribe that inhabited this region. The Latin form of the tribal name is Suebi or Suevi.

Early Origins of the Swope family

The surname Swope was first found in Franconia and later Mecklenburg, where the name became prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some in foreign countries such as Austria. They were always elevating their social status by intermarriage and by their great contributions to society. The name Schwab has been traced to Mecklenburg as early as 1298, when Ulrich Schwab, the first Count of Nemerow, lived. Chronicles also mention Christian Schwabel in Franconia in 1414.

Early History of the Swope family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Swope research. Another 222 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1540, 1575, 1615, 1645, 1714, 1784, 1810 and 1840 are included under the topic Early Swope History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swope Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Swope include Schwab, Schwabe, Schwabel, Schwebel, Swab and others.

Early Notables of the Swope family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Swope Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swope Ranking

In the United States, the name Swope is the 4,540^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Swope migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Swopes to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Swope Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Swope, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1744 2
Christopher Swope, who landed in Maryland in 1798 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Swope (post 1700) +

Thomas Hunton Swope (1827-1909), American real estate magnate and philanthropist in Kansas City, Missouri
Topo Swope (b. 1948), American actress and talent agent
Samuel Franklin Swope (1809-1865), American 19th century politician and lawyer from Kentucky
John Augustus Swope (1827-1910), Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Guy Jacob Swope (1892-1969), American teacher, accountant, and Democratic politician
George Robert "Rob" Swope (1926-1967), American jazz trombonist
Henrietta Hill Swope (1902-1980), American astronomer
Gerard Swope (1872-1957), American electronics businessman
Herbert Bayard Swope (1882-1958), U.S. editor and journalist
James S. Swope, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 10 aerial victories
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)