Find out how popular the last name Schwinn is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Schwinn.

Schwinn, 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 Schwinn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schwinn in America

Schwinn is the 23333rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schwinn surname appeared 1,091 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 Schwinn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schwinn 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.

The history of the last name Schwinn

The surname SCHWINN has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages, likely derived from the German word "Schwan," which means "swan." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a body of water frequented by swans or may have been associated with the heraldic symbol of a swan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SCHWINN can be found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, where a family bearing this surname is mentioned in municipal records dating back to the 14th century. The name also appears in various historical documents from other German regions, such as the Palatinate and Saxony, indicating its widespread use across different parts of the country.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans SCHWINN (1492-1567) gained recognition as a prominent Protestant reformer and theologian. He played a crucial role in establishing the Lutheran Church in the city of Nuremberg and authored several influential religious texts that contributed to the spread of Protestantism in Germany.

Another important historical figure with the surname SCHWINN was Johann Christoph SCHWINN (1685-1761), a renowned German composer and organist who served as the court Kapellmeister in the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded and influential during the Baroque period.

During the 19th century, the SCHWINN name gained further prominence with the birth of Ignaz SCHWINN (1810-1881), a German industrialist and inventor who founded the Schwinn Bicycle Company in Chicago, Illinois, after immigrating to the United States in the late 1800s. His innovative bicycle designs and manufacturing techniques played a significant role in the popularization of bicycles as a mode of transportation and recreation.

Another notable figure with the SCHWINN surname was Friedrich Wilhelm SCHWINN (1798-1878), a German educator and writer who authored several educational books and textbooks that were widely used in schools throughout Germany during the 19th century.

In the 20th century, the name SCHWINN became closely associated with the Schwinn Bicycle Company, which was founded by Ignaz SCHWINN and continued to be a leading manufacturer of bicycles in the United States for decades, contributing to the development of cycling culture and the popularity of recreational cycling.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schwinn

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Schwinn.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Schwinn was:

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 Schwinn has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Schwinn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Schwinn, please contact us.

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