2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schwyhart
A German surname potentially derived from a place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Schwyhart. 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 Schwyhart 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 Schwyhart 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 Schwyhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.5%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwyhart
The surname SCHWYHART is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a collection of municipal records from the town of Augsburg, dated around 1387. The entry refers to a certain "Hans Schwyharte," indicating that the name was already in use during that period.
The name SCHWYHART is thought to be derived from the Old German words "schwihen," meaning "to swing" or "to wield," and "hart," which translates to "hard" or "brave." This combination suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who was skilled in combat or known for their bravery on the battlefield.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name SCHWYHART was Johann Schwyhart, a renowned goldsmith and engraver born in Nuremberg around 1520. His intricate metalwork and engravings were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy patrons of the time.
During the 17th century, the name appears in several historical documents from the region of Baden-Württemberg. One such record, dated 1642, mentions a certain "Friedrich Schwyhart," who was a landowner and prominent figure in the local community.
Another individual of note was Katharina Schwyhart, born in 1725 in the town of Ulm. She was a celebrated midwife and herbalist, renowned for her expertise in traditional medicine and her compassionate care for mothers and newborns.
In the 19th century, the SCHWYHART name gained further recognition with the birth of Hans Schwyhart, a renowned architect and urban planner. Born in 1832 in Munich, he was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and public spaces that still stand today in cities across Germany.
One of the most famous individuals bearing the SCHWYHART name was Karl Schwyhart, a renowned philosopher and academic. Born in 1871 in Stuttgart, he taught at various prestigious universities across Europe and authored several influential works on ethics and metaphysics before his death in 1948.
While the SCHWYHART name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its origins and connections to the southern regions of Germany remain a significant part of its rich historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwyhart
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwyhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.5%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwyhart 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 Schwyhart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 95
- Two or more races10.5% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwyhart
Schwyhart 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+9 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 664 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-10 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,902 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 664 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 10,902 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 Schwyhart 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 | #135,593 | #146,495 | -8.0% |
| Count | 124 | 114 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwyhart bearers went from 124 to 114 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 10,902 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #146,495.
FAQ
Schwyhart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwyhart?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Schwyhart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Schwyhart?
Schwyhart 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 Schwyhart. 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 Schwyhart.
Has Schwyhart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwyhart went from 124 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwyhart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwyhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.5%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Schwyhart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwyhart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Two or More Races (10.5%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Schwyhart (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 Schwyhart mean?
A German surname potentially derived from a place name or occupation. 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 Schwyhart (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 common is the surname Schwyhart?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Schwyhart on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.