2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Aschwanden
A Swiss German surname derived from a topographic name for someone living on a hillside or mountain slope.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Aschwanden. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aschwanden surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Aschwanden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aschwanden, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aschwanden
The surname Aschwanden originated in Switzerland, specifically in the German-speaking regions of the country. The name can be traced back to the 13th century and is believed to be derived from the Swiss-German word "Asche," which means "ash," and the word "Wanden," which refers to a slope or hillside. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on an ashy or charcoal-burnt slope or hillside.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Aschwanden can be found in the "Urkundenbuch der Abtei St. Gallen," a collection of documents from the Abbey of St. Gallen, dating back to the year 1289. This document includes a reference to a person named "Heinricus de Aschiwanden."
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Aschiwanden," "Aschenwanden," and "Aschiwanden," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that time period. These variations likely stemmed from the different dialects and local accents present in different regions of Switzerland.
One notable historical figure with the surname Aschwanden was Hans Aschwanden (1506-1571), a Swiss theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland. He was a close associate of Huldrych Zwingli and helped to spread the Reformation in the Canton of Glarus.
Another prominent individual was Johann Baptist Aschwanden (1825-1888), a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the executive branch of the Swiss government, from 1866 to 1867.
In the 19th century, the name Aschwanden was found in various parts of Switzerland, particularly in the cantons of Schwyz, Glarus, and Obwalden. The name was also associated with several place names in these regions, such as Aschwanden bei Ibach (a village in the canton of Schwyz) and Aschwanden bei Sachseln (a village in the canton of Obwalden).
Other notable individuals with the surname Aschwanden include:
1. Franz Josef Aschwanden (1830-1906), a Swiss Catholic priest and author.
2. Kaspar Aschwanden (1836-1911), a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Federal Council from 1888 to 1899.
3. Alfons Aschwanden (1869-1945), a Swiss Catholic priest and historian.
4. Matthias Aschwanden (1932-2005), a Swiss composer and music educator.
5. Beatrice Aschwanden (born 1965), a Swiss journalist and writer.
While the surname Aschwanden has its roots in Switzerland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aschwanden
Among Census respondents with the surname Aschwanden, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Aschwanden bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Aschwanden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aschwanden
Aschwanden appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-13 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,898 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 18,898 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,529 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Aschwanden surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #139,228 | #145,757 | -4.7% |
| Count | 120 | 115 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aschwanden bearers went from 120 to 115 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #145,757.
FAQ
Aschwanden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aschwanden?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Aschwanden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Aschwanden?
Aschwanden ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Aschwanden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Aschwanden.
Has Aschwanden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aschwanden went from 120 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Aschwanden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aschwanden, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Aschwanden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aschwanden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Aschwanden (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Aschwanden mean?
A Swiss German surname derived from a topographic name for someone living on a hillside or mountain slope. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Aschwanden (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Aschwanden?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.