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Meaning of the name "Swain" |
| The English knight would have squire, groom and swain as his attendants. Since the swain was usually a young boy it would be natural for the name to acquire the sense of a youthful servant, country lad, or a young shepherd. As a nautical term, a coxswain was at first the swain (boy servant) in charge of the small boat that the ship's captain would use to to go from ship to shore; eventually any helmsman would be called the coxswain. |