2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Schwemer
A German surname derived from the term meaning "to drift" or "to float."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Schwemer. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwemer 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Schwemer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwemer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwemer
The surname SCHWEMER is of German origin, originating in the 14th century from the region of Westphalia, in what is now North Rhine-Westphalia. The name is derived from the Middle Low German word "schwēmen," which means "to roam" or "to wander." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who traveled frequently or had a nomadic lifestyle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SCHWEMER can be found in the Wupper Valley near Solingen, where a document from the year 1385 mentions a "Henrich Schwemer." In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Schwehmer," "Schwemmer," and "Schwämer," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
The SCHWEMER name is also associated with the town of Schwelm, located in the Ennepe-Ruhr district of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is possible that the name may have originated from this place name, although the exact connection remains uncertain.
Historically notable individuals with the surname SCHWEMER include:
1. Johann Schwemer (1585-1658), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in Herborn and later as a professor of theology at the University of Marburg.
2. Caspar Schwemer (1621-1690), a German jurist and legal scholar who held positions as a judge and professor of law at the University of Giessen.
3. Balthasar Schwemer (1679-1744), a German architect and builder who designed several churches and public buildings in the Baroque style, primarily in the regions of Westphalia and the Rhineland.
4. Wilhelm Schwemer (1851-1917), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded a successful manufacturing company specializing in metal products in the city of Iserlohn.
5. Erich Schwemer (1899-1964), a German novelist and playwright who gained recognition for his works depicting life in the Ruhr Valley and the struggles of the working class during the early 20th century.
Throughout its history, the surname SCHWEMER has been associated with various professions, including clergy, academia, law, architecture, and industry, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwemer
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwemer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwemer 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 Schwemer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwemer
Schwemer 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,270 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-8 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,930 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,270 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 9,930 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 Schwemer 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 | #131,379 | #141,309 | -7.6% |
| Count | 129 | 121 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwemer bearers went from 129 to 121 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 9,930 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #141,309.
FAQ
Schwemer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwemer?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Schwemer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Schwemer?
Schwemer ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Schwemer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Schwemer.
Has Schwemer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwemer went from 129 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwemer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwemer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Schwemer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwemer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Schwemer (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 Schwemer mean?
A German surname derived from the term meaning "to drift" or "to float." 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 Schwemer (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 surname Schwemer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.