Origin

Swansea originally developed as a Viking trading post, and the name Swansea is derived from Sveinn's island (Old Norse: Sveinsey) - the reference to an island may refer to a bank at the mouth of the river Tawe, or perhaps an area of raised ground in marshes. The name is pronounced Swans-y /ˈswɒnzi/), not Swan-sea. The Welsh name first appears in Welsh poems at the beginning of the 13th century, as "Aber Tawy.