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

Swanger, 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 Swanger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swanger in America

Swanger is the 9217th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swanger surname appeared 3,536 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Swanger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swanger 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 Swanger

The surname Swanger has its origins in the German language, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, which was historically part of the Holy Roman Empire. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "swang," meaning "to swing" or "to sway," potentially referencing an occupation related to woodworking or carpentry.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Swanger can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval manuscript from the Corvey Abbey in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, dated around the 9th century. This manuscript contains a list of land grants and donations, including references to individuals with the surname Swanger or similar spellings.

In the 13th century, there are records of a family by the name of Swanger residing in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in the Franconian region of Bavaria. This family is believed to have been involved in the local woodworking industry, further supporting the theory of the name's occupational origins.

During the Renaissance period, a notable figure named Johann Swanger (1492-1557) was a renowned woodcarver and sculptor based in Nuremberg, a city renowned for its rich artistic heritage. His intricate wooden carvings adorned several churches and buildings in the city, earning him a reputation as a master craftsman.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Swanger was Hans Swanger (1546-1612), a German architect and engineer who played a significant role in the construction of fortifications and defensive structures during the Thirty Years' War. His expertise in military engineering was highly sought after by various German principalities.

In the 18th century, a family by the name of Swanger settled in the town of Zweibrücken, in the present-day German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. One member of this family, Friedrich Swanger (1723-1798), was a respected clockmaker and watchmaker, whose timepieces were prized for their precision and craftsmanship.

As the Swanger name spread across German-speaking regions, it also found its way into other European countries through migration and intermarriage. In the 19th century, a notable figure named Anton Swanger (1815-1887) was a prominent Austrian painter and art teacher, known for his landscape paintings and portraiture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swanger

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

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

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

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