Show ContentsSwint History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Swint is Mac Suibhne, which is derived from the word "suibhne," which means "pleasant."

Early Origins of the Swint family

The surname Swint was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel. The name is derived from Suibhne O'Neill, who was a chieftain in Argyll, Scotland. His descendants migrated to Ireland as gallowglasses (mercenaries) prior to 1267. The three great septs of this name finally established themselves in Tirconnell in 14th century; they were known as MacSweeney Fanad, MacSweeney Banagh, and MacSweeney na dTuath, who were commonly referred to as 'MacSweeney of the Battleaxes.' They later became attached to the MacCarthys in the south and acquired their own territories and castles in Muskerry in County Cork.

Early History of the Swint family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Swint research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1299 and 1310 are included under the topic Early Swint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swint Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Swint were encountered in the archives: MacSweeney, MacSweeny, MacSwine, MacSwiney, MacSwyne, MacSwyny, MacWhinney, MacWhinny, MacWhinnie, MacSwiny, McSweeney, Swiney, Swinney and many more.

Early Notables of the Swint family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was John MacSween, a 13th-14th century nobleman who lost his lands in Scotland after the defeat of the forces and death of Alexander Og MacDonald, Lord of Islay in 1299. In...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Swint Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swint Ranking

In the United States, the name Swint is the 9,276th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Swint migration to the United States +

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Swint name:

Swint Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Frans Swint, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Assen, Holland, in 1913
  • Willemtje Swint, aged 22, who landed in America from Assen, Holland, in 1913
  • Wallace Swint, aged 19, who settled in America, in 1919
  • Fred E. Swint, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1921

Contemporary Notables of the name Swint (post 1700) +

  • Marc Swint (b. 1987), American actor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for Anime Abandon (2011), Street Fighter V (2016) and Ta hronika tou Drakofoinika: Adamastos (2013)
  • Kelly Swint, American actress, known for FBI: Most Wanted (2020) and Stella's Last Weekend (2018)
  • Bennie Swint, American producer, known for Beauty & the Beholder (2018), Blackhats (2015) and The Society
  • Sean Swint, American production assistant, known for Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Kalifornia (1993) and Love Potion No. 9 (1992)
  • Kerwin Swint (b. 1962), American political scientist and author
  • John Joseph Swint (1879-1962), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop of Wheeling (1922 to 1962)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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