Swansea is thocht tae hae oreeginally developed as aViking tradin post. Some think that its name is derived fraeSveinn's island (Auld Norse: Sveinsey) – the reference tae an island mey refer tae a bank at the mooth o the river Tawe, or aiblins an aurie o raised grund in mairshes. An alternative explanation is that the name derives frae the Norse name 'Sweyn' an 'ey', which can mean inlet.
The earliest kent form o the modren name isSweynesse, which wis uised in the firstcharter grantit sometime atween 1158–1184 bi William de Newburgh, 3rdEarl o Warwick. The charter gae Swansea the status o aborough, grantin the tounsmen, criedburgesses certain richts tae develop the aurie. A seicont chairter wis grantit in 1215 biKeeng John. In this charter, the name appears asSweyneshe. The toun seal which is believed tae date frae this period names the toun asSweyse.
Follaein theNorman Conquest, amaircher lordship wis creatit unner the title oGower. It includit land aroondSwansea Bay as far as the River Tawe, the manor o Kilvey ayont the Tawe, an the peninsula itsel. Swansea wis designatit chief toun o the lordship an received aborough chairter some time atween 1158 an 1184 (an a mair elaborate ane in 1304).
The port o Swansea initially tradit in wine, hides, wuil, cloth an later incoal. As theIndustrial Revolution reached Wales, the combination o port, local coal, an tradin links wi theWast Kintra,Cornwall anDevon, meant that Swansea wis the logical place tae sitecoppersmeltin wirks. Smelters wur operatin bi 1720 an proliferatit. Follaing this, maircoal mines (aawhaur frae north-east Gower taeClyne anLlangyfelach) wur opened an smelters (maistly alang the Tawe valley) wur opened an flourished. Ower the next century an a hauf, wirks war established tae processarsenic,zinc antin an tae creauttinplate anpottery. The ceety expandit rapidly in the 18t an 19t centuries, an wis termed "Copperopolis".
Frae the late 17t century tae 1801, Swansea's population grew bi 500% — the first offeecial census (in 1841) indicatit that, wi 6,099 indwallers, Swansea haed acome significantly lairger thanGlamorgan's coonty toun,Cardiff, an wis the seicont maist populous toun in Wales ahintMerthyr Tydfil (which haed a population o 7,705). Housomeivver, the census unnerstatit Swansea's true size, as muckle o the biggit-up aurie lay ootside the contemporary bundaries o theborough; the tot population wis actually 10,117. Swansea's population wis later owertaken bi Merthyr in 1821 an bi Cardiff in 1881, awtho in the latter year Swansea ance again surpassed Merthyr. Muckle o Swansea's growthe wis due tae migration frae athin an ayont Wales — in 1881, mair nor a third o the borough's population haed been born ootside Swansea an Glamorgan, an juist unner a quarter ootside Wales.
Throu the 20t century, hivy industries in the toun declined, leavin theLawer Swansea Valley filled wi derelict wirks an moonds o waste products frae them. The Lawer Swansea Valley Scheme (which still continues) reclaimed muckle o the land. The presentEnterprise Zone wis the result an, o the mony oreeginal docks, anerlie those ootside the ceety continue tae wirk as docks; North Dock is nouParc Tawe an Sooth Dock became theMarina.
Little ceety-centre evidence, ayont pairts o the road layoot, remains frae medieval Swansea; its industrial importance made it the target o bombin, kent asthe Blitz inWarld War II, an the centre wis flattened completely. The ceety haes three Grade Ane leetit biggins, thir bein theGuildhall,Swansea Castle an theMorriston Tabernacle.
Athin the ceety centre are the ruins o thecastle, the Marina, theGlynn Vivian Art Gallery,Swansea Museum, theDylan Thomas Centre, the Environmental Centre, an theMarket, which is the lairgest covered mercat in Wales. It backs ontae theQuadrant Shopping Centre which opened in 1978 an the adjoininSt David's Centre opened in 1982. Ither notable modren biggins are the BT Touer (umwhile the GPO touer) biggit aroond 1970, Alexandra House opened in 1976, Coonty Hall opened in Julie 1982.Swansea Leisure Centre opened in 1977; it haes unnergane extensive refurbishment which retained elements o the oreeginal structur an re-opened in Mairch 2008. Ahint it staunds theNational Waterfront Museum, opened in October 2005.
Swansea wis grantitceety status in 1969, tae merkPrince Charles's investiture as thePrince o Wales. The annooncement wis made bi the prince on 3 Julie 1969, durin a tour o Wales. It obtained the further richt tae hae alord mayor in 1982.
Swansea Ceety moved frae theVetch Field tae the newLiberty Stadium at the stairt o the 2005–2006 saison, winnin promotion tae League Ane in thair final year at thair auld hame.
In 2003,Swansea RFC merged wiNeath RFC te form theNeath-Swansea Ospreys rugby club. Swansea RFC remained at St Helen's in semi-professional form, but the Ospreys moved intae the Liberty Stadium in Landore for the stairt o the 2005–2006 saison. Neath-Swansea rugby gemmes uised tae be hotly-contestit matches, such that thare wis some debate aboot whether a team incorporatin baith auries wis possible. The team came fift in theCeltic League in thair first year o existence an toppin that league in thair seicont year.
Swansea'srugby league side plays seeven mile ootside the coonty in the sma toun oYstalyfera. Thay are kent as theSwansea Valley Miners but wur formed as the Swansea Bulls in 2002.
TheSwansea Bowls Stadium opened in early 2008. The stadium hostit the Warld Indoor Singles an Mixed Pairs Championship in Aprile 2008 an the Gravelles Welsh Internaitional Open Bowls Championships in 2009.
