Find out how popular the last name Schwemmer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Schwemmer.
A surname meaning a person who swam, perhaps referring to an occupation or location.
Schwemmer, 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 Schwemmer surname is from the 2010 census data.
Schwemmer is the 68122nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Schwemmer surname appeared 289 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Schwemmer.
We can also compare 2010 data for Schwemmer 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 68122 | 72717 | -6.53% |
Count | 289 | 249 | 14.87% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.10 | 0.09 | 10.53% |
The surname SCHWEMMER is of German origin, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It likely originated in the regions of southern Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "swemmen," which means "to swim" or "to float."
During the medieval period, many surnames were derived from occupations or physical attributes. The name SCHWEMMER may have been given to individuals who lived near bodies of water, such as rivers or lakes, and were involved in swimming, fishing, or other water-related activities. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive surname referring to someone who had a particular swimming ability or affinity for water.
One of the earliest known records of the name SCHWEMMER can be found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a certain Hans Schwemmer was mentioned in a document dated 1472. This document, part of the town's archives, suggests that the name was already established in that region by the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the SCHWEMMER name was Johann Schwemmer, a Lutheran theologian and reformer born in Nuremberg in 1520. He played a significant role in the spread of Protestant teachings in southern Germany and authored several influential theological works before his death in 1584.
Another historic figure was Konrad Schwemmer, a German painter and engraver who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Born in Nuremberg around 1570, Schwemmer was known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can still be found in churches and museums across Germany.
In the 18th century, a prominent SCHWEMMER was Johann Caspar Schwemmer, a renowned clockmaker from the town of Schramberg in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg. His intricate and highly accurate clocks were sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons across Europe, and his work helped establish Schramberg as a center of clockmaking in the late 1700s.
The name SCHWEMMER can also be traced back to the village of Schwemmern, located in the Palatinate region of Germany. This village, whose name is derived from the same root as the surname, was first mentioned in historical records in the 13th century, suggesting a long-standing connection between the place name and the family name.
Throughout history, the SCHWEMMER surname has been closely associated with various regions of southern Germany, particularly in the areas around Nuremberg, Rothenburg, and the Black Forest. While not a particularly common surname, it has left a notable legacy in fields such as theology, art, and craftsmanship, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name over the centuries.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Schwemmer.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Schwemmer was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 97.92% | 283 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Schwemmer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 97.92% | 97.19% | 0.75% |
Black | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Hispanic | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Schwemmer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/schwemmer-surname-popularity/">Schwemmer last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Schwemmer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 26, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/schwemmer-surname-popularity/.
"Schwemmer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/schwemmer-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 June, 2025
Schwemmer last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/schwemmer-surname-popularity/.
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