2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Schwietert
A German surname derived from a place name meaning "difficult clearing".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Schwietert. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwietert 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Schwietert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwietert, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwietert
The surname Schwietert has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "schwiet," which means "to burn" or "to scorch." This name likely referred to an occupation or a location associated with burning or scorching activities.
The earliest known records of the Schwietert name can be traced back to the 14th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. The name appeared in various forms, such as Schwiedert, Schwiedhert, and Schwiedhart, reflecting the regional differences in spelling and pronunciation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schwietert can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, where a certain Hans Schwietert was mentioned as a landowner in the year 1427.
During the 16th century, the Schwietert family gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, where they were involved in the metalworking industry. A notable figure from this era was Johann Schwietert (1528-1597), a skilled blacksmith who was renowned for his intricate ironwork designs.
In the 17th century, the Schwietert name appeared in various church records and municipal documents across Germany. One notable figure from this period was Anna Schwietert (1642-1712), a respected midwife and herbalist who practiced in the town of Freiburg.
As the centuries progressed, the Schwietert family dispersed throughout different regions of Germany and beyond. In the 19th century, Carl Schwietert (1808-1872), a talented composer and musician, gained recognition for his contributions to the development of classical music in Germany.
Another prominent individual with the Schwietert surname was Wilhelm Schwietert (1867-1942), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the Schwietert name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it was likely associated with occupations or locations related to burning or scorching activities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwietert
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwietert, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwietert 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 Schwietert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 7
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwietert
Schwietert 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,285 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,285 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,338 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 Schwietert 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 | #140,157 | #146,495 | -4.5% |
| Count | 119 | 114 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwietert bearers went from 119 to 114 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #146,495.
FAQ
Schwietert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwietert?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Schwietert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Schwietert?
Schwietert ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Schwietert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Schwietert.
Has Schwietert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwietert went from 119 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwietert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwietert, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schwietert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwietert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schwietert (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 Schwietert mean?
A German surname derived from a place name meaning "difficult clearing". 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 Schwietert (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 Schwietert?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.