2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schwalje
A German surname possibly derived from a place or relating to swallows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Schwalje. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwalje 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Schwalje in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwalje, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwalje
The surname SCHWALJE has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Low German word "swāl," which means "swallow" or "martlet," a bird commonly found in heraldic symbols. The name may have been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who resembled or displayed characteristics similar to the swallow bird.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SCHWALJE surname can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a northern German state, where it was spelled as "Schwalge" in the late 1500s. The variant spelling "Schwalje" emerged in the same region during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the SCHWALJE name gained prominence in the town of Güstrow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where several families bearing this surname were recorded in local registers. Notably, Johann Schwalje (1722-1801), a respected merchant and landowner, left a significant mark on the town's history during this period.
As the SCHWALJE family dispersed across Germany and beyond, the name appeared in various historical records and documents. In the early 19th century, a branch of the family settled in the Prussian province of Pomerania, where Gustav Schwalje (1819-1897), a prominent lawyer and judge, was born in the town of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland).
Another notable figure was Friedrich Schwalje (1863-1938), a German chemist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of synthetic dyes and pigments. He held several patents and worked for renowned companies like BASF and Hoechst AG during his career.
In the realm of literature, the SCHWALJE surname gained recognition through the works of Theodor Schwalje (1887-1967), a German poet and writer known for his lyrical compositions and novels depicting rural life in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Beyond Germany, the SCHWALJE name has also spread to other parts of Europe and the world through various migrations. One example is Sven Schwalje (1904-1987), a Swedish engineer and entrepreneur who played a crucial role in the development of the Swedish automotive industry in the mid-20th century.
While the SCHWALJE surname may not be among the most common in the world, its rich history and connections to various notable figures across different fields showcase its enduring legacy and contributions to society over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwalje
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwalje, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwalje 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 Schwalje surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwalje
Schwalje appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 758 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 Schwalje 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 | #147,253 | #146,495 | 0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 114 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwalje bearers went from 112 to 114 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 758 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #146,495.
FAQ
Schwalje surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwalje?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Schwalje. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Schwalje?
Schwalje ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Schwalje. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Schwalje.
Has Schwalje become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwalje went from 112 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwalje?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwalje, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schwalje in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwalje appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schwalje (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 Schwalje mean?
A German surname possibly derived from a place or relating to swallows. 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 Schwalje (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 last name Schwalje?
Want to know how many people are called Schwalje? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.