2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Schwehm
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from a topographic name referring to a meadow or pasture area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Schwehm. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwehm 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Schwehm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwehm, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwehm
The surname SCHWEHM is of German origin, originating in the late medieval period. The name is derived from the Old German words "swaihho" and "haimr," which translate to "pasture" and "home," respectively. It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who lived near or owned a pasture or grazing area.
The earliest recorded instances of the SCHWEHM surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Saxony. Historical records show variations in spelling, such as Schwehem, Schweym, and Schwehm, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.
One notable historical reference to the SCHWEHM name can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Nuremberg, where a Johann Schwehm was listed as a landowner in the year 1487. Additionally, the Stammbaum (family tree) of the Schwehm family from Saxony dates back to the 16th century, mentioning a Hans Schwehm, born in 1542.
In the 17th century, the SCHWEHM surname gained prominence when Christoph Schwehm (1619-1687), a renowned German theologian and author, published several influential works on Protestant theology. His scholarly contributions earned him recognition in academic circles.
During the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the SCHWEHM surname was Johann Friedrich Schwehm (1728-1802), a German composer and organist. He composed numerous sacred and secular works, some of which are still performed today in certain regions of Germany.
Another person of historical significance was Maria Schwehm (1856-1924), a German feminist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her advocacy played a crucial role in advancing the women's movement in Germany.
The SCHWEHM surname has also been associated with various place names and localities throughout Germany. For example, Schwehm is a village in the Vogtlandkreis district of Saxony, and there is a town called Schwehm in the district of Recklinghausen, North Rhine-Westphalia.
While the SCHWEHM surname may not be as widespread as some other German surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwehm
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwehm, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwehm 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 Schwehm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 90
- Black or African American4.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwehm
Schwehm 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-17 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,110 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,568 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 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 26,110 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 2,568 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 Schwehm 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 | #154,907 | #152,339 | 1.7% |
| Count | 105 | 106 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwehm bearers went from 105 to 106 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 2,568 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,339.
FAQ
Schwehm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwehm?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Schwehm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Schwehm?
Schwehm ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Schwehm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Schwehm.
Has Schwehm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwehm went from 105 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwehm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwehm, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.7%). 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 Schwehm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwehm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (4.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.7%). 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 Schwehm (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 Schwehm mean?
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from a topographic name referring to a meadow or pasture area. 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 Schwehm (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 Schwehm?
See how many people have the last name Schwehm on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.