2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schwappach
A surname of German origin possibly related to the place name Schwappach.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Schwappach. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwappach 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Schwappach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwappach, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwappach
The surname Schwappach is a German toponymic name derived from a place name. It likely originated in the 13th or 14th century in the region of modern-day Germany. The name is believed to be derived from the Old German words "schwap," meaning a swamp or wet area, and "bach," meaning a stream or small river. This suggests the name may have originated from someone who lived near a swampy stream or river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schwappach can be found in a 15th-century document from the town of Schwarzenbach, located in the state of Bavaria. This document mentions a "Hans Schwappach," who was likely a resident of the town or a nearby village.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in records from the city of Nuremberg, where a "Christoph Schwappach" was listed as a merchant and guild member. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its original geographic region and was becoming more widespread.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Johann Schwappach (1592-1657) was a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Rostock. He authored several works on theology and religious philosophy, contributing to the intellectual discourse of the time.
During the 18th century, the name Schwappach can be found in records from the town of Spangenberg, located in the state of Hesse. A "Georg Schwappach" (1714-1792) was a respected landowner and farmer in the region.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual with the surname Schwappach was Adam Schwappach (1851-1932), a German forester and botanist. He made significant contributions to the study of forestry and wrote several influential books on the subject, including "Forestry Handbook" and "Growth and Yield of Forests."
Another notable figure from this time period was Karl Schwappach (1870-1941), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank and the Reichspatentamt (Imperial Patent Office).
These examples illustrate the widespread use of the surname Schwappach throughout German history, spanning various professions and regions within the country. While the name likely originated in a specific geographic area, it eventually spread and became associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and occupations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwappach
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwappach, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwappach 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 Schwappach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwappach
Schwappach 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+19 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 7,588 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-12 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,060 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 7,588 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 13,060 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 Schwappach 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 | #128,249 | #141,309 | -10.2% |
| Count | 133 | 121 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwappach bearers went from 133 to 121 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 13,060 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #141,309.
FAQ
Schwappach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwappach?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Schwappach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Schwappach?
Schwappach ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Schwappach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Schwappach.
Has Schwappach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwappach went from 133 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwappach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwappach, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Schwappach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwappach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.1%), Black (2.5%). 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 Schwappach (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 Schwappach mean?
A surname of German origin possibly related to the place name Schwappach. 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 Schwappach (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 Schwappach?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.