2000
#39,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 531
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Schwertfeger
A German surname meaning "sword polisher" or "furbisher of swords."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 617 Americans carry the last name Schwertfeger. That puts it at #43,268 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 555,518 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwertfeger 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
617
1 in 555,518
Census rank
#43,268
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
538
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 538 bearers of the surname Schwertfeger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 43268th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwertfeger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwertfeger
The surname Schwertfeger originates from the German language and has its roots in the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name, derived from the German words "Schwert" meaning sword and "Feger" meaning polisher or furbisher. The name refers to a person who polished or sharpened swords, knives, and other blades for a living.
The earliest known record of the Schwertfeger name dates back to the 14th century in the region of Saxony, Germany. In the year 1376, a document from the town of Zwickau mentions a man named Hans Schwertfeger, who was a member of the local guild of sword polishers.
During the medieval period, the Schwertfeger name was particularly prominent in the city of Nuremberg, which was renowned for its skilled metalworkers and blade smiths. The Schwertfeger family played an important role in the city's renowned sword-making industry.
One notable Schwertfeger from this era was Johann Schwertfeger, who lived in Nuremberg in the late 15th century and was a master sword polisher. His intricate and beautifully polished swords were highly sought after by noblemen and knights across Europe.
Another prominent Schwertfeger was Matthias Schwertfeger, a 16th-century sword polisher from the town of Solingen, which was another important center for blade-making in Germany. Matthias Schwertfeger's works were renowned for their exceptional quality and were prized by collectors and connoisseurs.
In the 17th century, the Schwertfeger name appeared in the records of the city of Dresden, where a family of sword polishers had established a successful business. One of their descendants, Friedrich Schwertfeger, born in 1682, was a renowned master craftsman who trained many apprentices in the art of sword polishing.
Outside of Germany, the Schwertfeger name can also be found in other parts of Europe, particularly in regions with a strong tradition of metalworking and blade-making. For instance, in the 18th century, there was a notable Schwertfeger family in the city of Toledo, Spain, which was renowned for its skilled sword-makers.
Overall, the surname Schwertfeger has a rich history rooted in the medieval craft of sword polishing and blade-making, particularly in the German-speaking regions of Europe. It is a testament to the importance of skilled metalworkers and artisans in the cultural and economic fabric of these regions throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwertfeger
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwertfeger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwertfeger 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 Schwertfeger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 503
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 16
- Two or more races2.4% · 13
- Black or African American0.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwertfeger
Schwertfeger 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
#39,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 560
+29 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 229 places
2020
#43,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 538
-22 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 3,987 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,052 | 531 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39,281 | 560 | 0.19 | +29 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 229 places |
| 2020 | #43,268 | 538 | 0.18 | -22 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 3,987 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 Schwertfeger 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 | #39,281 | #43,268 | -10.1% |
| Count | 560 | 538 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.18 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwertfeger bearers went from 560 to 538 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 3,987 positions in the national ranking, going from #39,281 to #43,268.
FAQ
Schwertfeger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwertfeger?
Name Census estimates that about 617 living Americans carry the surname Schwertfeger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 555,518 residents.
How common is Schwertfeger?
Schwertfeger ranks #43,268 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 538 people with the surname Schwertfeger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (617), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Schwertfeger.
Has Schwertfeger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwertfeger went from 560 recorded bearers to 538. That is a decrease of 22 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #39,281 to #43,268.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwertfeger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwertfeger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Schwertfeger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (503 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwertfeger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Schwertfeger (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 Schwertfeger mean?
A German surname meaning "sword polisher" or "furbisher of swords." 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 Schwertfeger (0.18 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 common is the surname Schwertfeger?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Schwertfeger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.