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

Schweiger, 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 Schweiger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schweiger in America

Schweiger is the 12048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schweiger surname appeared 2,588 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Schweiger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schweiger 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 Schweiger

The surname Schweiger originates from Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "schweigen," which means "to be silent" or "to keep quiet." The earliest known spelling variations include Schweigger, Schweiger, and Schweighart.

The name likely arose as a descriptive nickname for someone who was renowned for their quietness or taciturn nature. It may also have been an occupational name for a messenger or town crier, whose role required periods of silence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schweiger appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the former Margraviate of Brandenburg, dated around the 13th century.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Konrad Schweiger was mentioned in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where he served as a respected merchant and council member.

During the Renaissance period, a German scholar and philosopher named Johann Schweigger (1619-1657) made significant contributions to the field of chemistry and is credited with developing the first air thermometer.

In the 18th century, a German mathematician and astronomer named August Friedrich Schweiger (1783-1821) gained recognition for his work on the calculation of planetary orbits and the study of comets.

Another prominent individual with the Schweiger surname was Johann Schweigger (1779-1857), a German inventor and physicist who is best known for his invention of the galvanometer, a crucial instrument for measuring electric currents.

Throughout history, the Schweiger name has also been associated with various places and geographic locations, such as the town of Schweigern in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and the village of Schweighausen in Alsace, France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schweiger

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

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 Schweiger 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 Schweiger 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 Schweiger was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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