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

Schweitzer, 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 Schweitzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schweitzer in America

Schweitzer is the 3544th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schweitzer surname appeared 10,068 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Schweitzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schweitzer 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 Schweitzer

The surname Schweitzer originates from the German-speaking areas of Europe, particularly Switzerland and southern Germany. It is derived from the German word "Schweiz," which means "Switzerland." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages as a way to identify individuals who migrated from Switzerland to other regions.

The earliest known record of the Schweitzer name dates back to the 13th century in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. In 1275, a document mentions a "Heinrich Schweitzer," referring to someone from Switzerland. This suggests that the name was already in use at that time.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Schweitzer name appeared in various historical records across the Swiss Confederacy and neighboring German territories. For instance, a "Hans Schweitzer" was mentioned in a land registry in the city of Zurich in 1392.

One of the most notable individuals with the Schweitzer surname was Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), a German-French philosopher, theologian, and medical missionary. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his humanitarian efforts in Africa.

Another prominent figure was Johann Baptist von Schweitzer (1834-1875), a German-American missionary and explorer. He was the first European to explore the interior of Liberia and documented his findings in a book published in 1868.

In the 16th century, a "Peter Schweitzer" was recorded as a landowner in the town of Thun, Switzerland, in 1532. This suggests that the name had become well-established in various Swiss regions by that time.

The Schweitzer surname also has ties to place names in Switzerland. For example, the village of Schweizerholz in the canton of Bern likely derived its name from the presence of Swiss settlers in the area during the Middle Ages.

Another notable figure was Johann Schweitzer (1625-1687), a German-Swiss theologian and professor at the University of Zurich. He was a prominent figure in the Reformed Church and wrote several influential theological works.

In the 18th century, a "Jakob Schweitzer" was recorded as a member of the Zurich City Council in 1745, indicating that the Schweitzer family had achieved a certain level of social status and influence in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schweitzer

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

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

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

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