Show ContentsSwebe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Swebe is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Swebe family lived in Lincolnshire, at Swaby, a parish, in the union of Louth, Marsh division of the hundred of Calceworth, parts of Lindsey. 1 The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the village as Suabi. 2 The place name literally means "farmstead or village of a man called Svan," from the Viking personal name + "by." 3

Early Origins of the Swebe family

The surname Swebe was first found in Lincolnshire at Swaby and it is here that the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 recorded Roger de Swaby as holding lands at that time. 4

Philip de Swaby was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1219 and later, Walter de Swaby was listed in the Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire in 1263. 5

Early History of the Swebe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Swebe research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1767 and 1952 are included under the topic Early Swebe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swebe Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Swebe are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Swebe include Swaby, Swabey, Swabie, Swabee, Swebie, Swebe and many more.

Early Notables of the Swebe family

More information is included under the topic Early Swebe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Swebe family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Swebe, or a variant listed above: Joseph James Swaby who landed in America in 1750.



The Swebe Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vera Tropae Fides
Motto Translation: Faith is our true trophy.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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