Find out how popular the last name Schwass is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Schwass.

Schwass, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Schwass surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schwass in America

Schwass is the 69170th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schwass surname appeared 284 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Schwass.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schwass to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Schwass

The surname Schwass has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "schwass," which means "chatter" or "idle talk." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who was known for their talkative nature or tendency to gossip.

The earliest known record of the name Schwass dates back to 1568, when it appeared in the parish records of the town of Nuremberg, located in the present-day state of Bavaria, Germany. It is possible that the name was initially associated with a specific occupation or trade related to communication or storytelling, such as a town crier or a bard.

One notable historical reference to the name Schwass can be found in the chronicles of the city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, also located in Bavaria. In 1623, a man named Hans Schwass is mentioned as being a respected member of the local guild of tailors, indicating that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 18th century, the surname Schwass began to spread beyond its German roots. In 1742, a merchant named Johann Schwass, originally from Saxony, settled in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where he established a successful trading business. This marked the beginning of the Schwass name's presence in the Netherlands.

Another prominent individual with the surname Schwass was Karl Schwass, a German composer and music teacher who lived from 1775 to 1851. He was known for his contributions to the development of music education and for his compositions for various instruments, including the piano and violin.

As the name Schwass spread across Europe, it underwent some variations in spelling and pronunciation. In regions with a strong Slavic influence, such as parts of Poland and the Czech Republic, the name was sometimes rendered as "Schwass" or "Švass," with the added accent reflecting the local pronunciation.

In the 19th century, the Schwass name found its way to the United States through German and Dutch immigration. One notable American Schwass was Friedrich Schwass, a German-born engineer who immigrated to the United States in 1848 and played a crucial role in the construction of several railroads and bridges in the Midwest and Western regions of the country.

Throughout its history, the surname Schwass has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, merchants, musicians, and engineers. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark across different regions and cultures, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bore it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schwass

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Schwass.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Schwass was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Schwass has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Schwass was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Schwass, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!