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

Schweizer, 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 Schweizer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schweizer in America

Schweizer is the 10287th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schweizer surname appeared 3,133 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 Schweizer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schweizer 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 Schweizer

The surname Schweizer originated in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland and Germany. It is derived from the word 'Schweiz', which means 'Switzerland' in German. The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages when surnames began to be adopted, indicating that the bearer or their ancestors hailed from Switzerland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Schweizer name can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Zürich, Switzerland. A document from 1274 mentions a 'Waltherus dictus Schweitzer', indicating that the name was already in use at that time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records across Switzerland and southern Germany. For instance, a 'Johannes Schweitzer' is mentioned in a manuscript from the city of Bern, dated 1352.

During the 15th century, the Schweizer name gained prominence in the region of Alsace, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time. The town of Colmar, in particular, had a notable Schweizer family that played a role in local governance and trade.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Schweizer surname was Johann Schweizer (1624-1679), a Swiss theologian and philosopher from Zürich. He was a professor at the University of Zürich and is known for his works on ethics and natural law.

Another notable figure was Johann Baptist Schweizer (1833-1875), a Swiss politician and lawyer from Zug. He served as a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the country's executive branch, from 1873 until his death.

In the 19th century, the Schweizer name also spread to other parts of Europe and North America through immigration. For instance, Karl Schweizer (1854-1938) was a German-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Additionally, Johann Schweizer (1858-1936) was an Austrian painter and illustrator known for his works depicting rural life in the Alps.

Finally, Albert Schweizer (1875-1965) was a renowned French-German philosopher, theologian, and physician. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his contributions to humanitarian efforts and promoting peace.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schweizer

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

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

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

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