2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schwagel
A surname of German origin that may have derived from a place name or an occupation involving farming.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Schwagel. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwagel 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Schwagel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwagel, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwagel
The surname SCHWAGEL has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Schwager," which means brother-in-law or a male relative by marriage. The name was likely used as a descriptive surname to identify someone who had married into a family or was closely related to another family through marriage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SCHWAGEL name can be found in the historical records of the town of Nürnberg, in the southern German region of Bavaria. In these records, dated around 1560, there is a mention of a man named Hans SCHWAGEL, who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area.
Another notable figure with the SCHWAGEL surname was Johannes SCHWAGEL, a Lutheran theologian and scholar who lived in the 17th century. Born in 1619 in the town of Wittenberg, he studied at the University of Wittenberg and later became a professor of theology. He published several works on theological subjects and was known for his contributions to the Lutheran faith.
In the 18th century, there was a prominent SCHWAGEL family in the region of Saxony, in eastern Germany. One member of this family, Christian Friedrich SCHWAGEL, was a successful businessman and landowner who lived in the town of Leipzig. He was born in 1726 and is recorded as having acquired significant wealth and property during his lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure with the SCHWAGEL surname was Johann Georg SCHWAGEL, a German composer and musician born in 1792 in the town of Weimar. He composed several works for various instruments, including piano and violin, and was highly regarded in his time for his musical talent.
Another individual of historical significance with the SCHWAGEL name was Karl SCHWAGEL, a German military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the 19th century. Born in 1815, he fought in several major conflicts, including the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, and attained the rank of General. He was decorated for his service and is remembered for his military leadership and strategic contributions.
While the SCHWAGEL name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries. However, its origins and early history can be traced back to the German regions, where it was originally used as a descriptive surname related to family ties and relationships formed through marriage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwagel
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwagel, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwagel 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 Schwagel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwagel
Schwagel 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,088 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,702 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,088 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,702 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 Schwagel 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 | #154,907 | #150,205 | 3.0% |
| Count | 105 | 109 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwagel bearers went from 105 to 109 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,702 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,205.
FAQ
Schwagel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwagel?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Schwagel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Schwagel?
Schwagel ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Schwagel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Schwagel.
Has Schwagel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwagel went from 105 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwagel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwagel, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Schwagel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwagel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Hispanic (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Schwagel (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 Schwagel mean?
A surname of German origin that may have derived from a place name or an occupation involving farming. 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 Schwagel (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 have the surname Schwagel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.