2000
#9,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,038
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Schweizer
A German and Jewish surname referring to a person from Switzerland or an inhabitant of Schweiz, Switzerland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,416 Americans carry the last name Schweizer. That puts it at #10,285 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,338 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schweizer 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
3.4K
1 in 100,338
Census rank
#10,285
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,979 bearers of the surname Schweizer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10285th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schweizer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schweizer
Among Census respondents with the surname Schweizer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schweizer 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 Schweizer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,738
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 123
- Two or more races2.8% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 25
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schweizer
Schweizer 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
#10,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,133
+95 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 465 places
2020
#10,285
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,979
-154 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,822 | 3,038 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,287 | 3,133 | 1.06 | +95 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 465 places |
| 2020 | #10,285 | 2,979 | 1.00 | -154 bearers (-4.9%) | Up 2 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 Schweizer 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 | #10,287 | #10,285 | 0.0% |
| Count | 3,133 | 2,979 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 1.00 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schweizer bearers went from 3,133 to 2,979 (-4.9% change). The surname moved up 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,287 to #10,285.
FAQ
Schweizer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schweizer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,416 living Americans carry the surname Schweizer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,338 residents.
How common is Schweizer?
Schweizer ranks #10,285 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,979 people with the surname Schweizer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,416), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Schweizer.
Has Schweizer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schweizer went from 3,133 recorded bearers to 2,979. That is a decrease of 154 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,287 to #10,285.
What does the Census say about the background of Schweizer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schweizer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Schweizer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,738 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schweizer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Schweizer (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 Schweizer mean?
A German and Jewish surname referring to a person from Switzerland or an inhabitant of Schweiz, Switzerland. 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 Schweizer (1.00 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 Americans have the surname Schweizer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.