2000
#31,235
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 702
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Schwartzberg
A German surname derived from black and mountain, likely referring to someone living near a dark, wooded hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 852 Americans carry the last name Schwartzberg. That puts it at #33,067 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 402,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwartzberg 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
852
1 in 402,294
Census rank
#33,067
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
743
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 743 bearers of the surname Schwartzberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33067th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwartzberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwartzberg
The surname Schwartzberg has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, specifically in the regions of what is now modern-day Germany and Austria. The name is derived from the German words "schwarz," meaning "black," and "Berg," meaning "mountain" or "hill." This combination suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or was associated with a dark, forested mountain or hill.
One of the earliest known references to the name Schwartzberg can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Nuremberg, which mentions a family with the surname Schwartzenberch. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.
In the 15th century, the Schwartzberg name appears in records from the city of Vienna, where it was associated with a prominent family of merchants and landowners. One notable figure from this era was Johann Schwartzberg (1428-1492), a wealthy trader who played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs.
As the Schwartzberg family spread across German-speaking regions, the name took on various spellings, such as Schwarzenberg, Schwartzenberg, and Schwartzbeck. These variations often reflected local dialects and naming conventions.
In the 16th century, the Schwartzberg name gained prominence in the principality of Schwarzburg, located in present-day Thuringia, Germany. This region was ruled by the Counts of Schwarzburg, whose family name was closely linked to the area's topography and likely influenced the spelling of the surname.
Another notable individual with the Schwartzberg surname was Hans Schwartzberg (1570-1631), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics during the Protestant Reformation.
As the Schwartzberg family continued to spread across Europe, they left their mark in various fields, including academia, the arts, and military service. One such figure was Karl Schwartzberg (1785-1859), a Prussian general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a military governor.
In the 19th century, the Schwartzberg name appeared in literary circles with the writer and poet Max Schwartzberg (1823-1892), whose works explored themes of nature and the human condition.
Throughout its long history, the surname Schwartzberg has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the rich tapestry of German culture and its influence across Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwartzberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwartzberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwartzberg 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 Schwartzberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 673
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 27
- Two or more races3.5% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 14
- Black or African American0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwartzberg
Schwartzberg 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
#31,033
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 748
+46 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 202 places
2020
#33,067
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 743
-5 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 2,034 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,235 | 702 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,033 | 748 | 0.25 | +46 bearers (+6.6%) | Up 202 places |
| 2020 | #33,067 | 743 | 0.25 | -5 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 2,034 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 Schwartzberg 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 | #31,033 | #33,067 | -6.6% |
| Count | 748 | 743 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.25 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwartzberg bearers went from 748 to 743 (-0.7% change). The surname moved down 2,034 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,033 to #33,067.
FAQ
Schwartzberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwartzberg?
Name Census estimates that about 852 living Americans carry the surname Schwartzberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 402,294 residents.
How common is Schwartzberg?
Schwartzberg ranks #33,067 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 743 people with the surname Schwartzberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (852), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Schwartzberg.
Has Schwartzberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwartzberg went from 748 recorded bearers to 743. That is a decrease of 5 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,033 to #33,067.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwartzberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwartzberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Schwartzberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (673 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwartzberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Schwartzberg (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 Schwartzberg mean?
A German surname derived from black and mountain, likely referring to someone living near a dark, wooded hill. 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 Schwartzberg (0.25 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 Schwartzberg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.