2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Schwarber
A German surname possibly derived from the word "schwarz" meaning black.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Schwarber. 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 Schwarber 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 Schwarber 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 Schwarber, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwarber
The surname Schwarber is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "swarze," meaning "black" or "dark." This name likely originated in the 14th or 15th century as a descriptive nickname for someone with dark hair or complexion.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Schwarber, Schwarzer, and Schwarzbach, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions. These variations can be found in historical records from different parts of Germany, particularly in the southern regions.
One of the earliest known references to the name Schwarber can be traced back to the town of Schwarzbach in Bavaria, where a family bearing this surname is mentioned in municipal records dating back to the early 16th century. The name is believed to have originated in this area, possibly derived from the town's name itself.
Another notable historical reference to the Schwarber name comes from the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Schwarber was recorded as a respected merchant and guild member in the late 16th century. His successful business dealings and civic involvement helped establish the family's reputation in the region.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, individuals bearing the surname Schwarber can be found scattered across various German states, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg. One prominent figure was Johann Schwarber (1624-1688), a Lutheran theologian and author from Nuremberg, who wrote several influential works on religious doctrine and philosophy.
In the 19th century, the Schwarber name gained further recognition with the birth of Karl Schwarber (1813-1891), a renowned German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and public spaces in cities like Munich and Stuttgart, leaving a lasting legacy in the architectural landscape of southern Germany.
Another noteworthy individual was Friederike Schwarber (1867-1943), a pioneer in the field of early childhood education. She founded one of the first kindergartens in Berlin and authored several books on teaching methods and child development, which significantly influenced educational practices in Germany at the time.
As the Schwarber family dispersed throughout Europe and beyond, the name continued to appear in various records and contexts, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwarber
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwarber, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwarber 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 Schwarber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 110
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwarber
Schwarber 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,360 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11,360 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Schwarber 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 | #140,157 | #145,757 | -4.0% |
| Count | 119 | 115 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwarber bearers went from 119 to 115 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #145,757.
FAQ
Schwarber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwarber?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Schwarber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Schwarber?
Schwarber 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 Schwarber. 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 Schwarber.
Has Schwarber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwarber went from 119 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwarber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwarber, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) 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 Schwarber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwarber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%), 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 Schwarber (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 Schwarber mean?
A German surname possibly derived from the word "schwarz" meaning black. 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 Schwarber (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 Schwarber?
Want to know how many people are called Schwarber? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.