2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sweedler
An occupational surname derived from the German word "schweider" meaning swordmaker or bladesmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Sweedler. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sweedler 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Sweedler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sweedler, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sweedler
The surname SWEEDLER originated in Germany. Its earliest recorded use dates back to the 15th century in the region of Bavaria. The name is derived from the Old High German word "swed" meaning "to burn" or "to singe." This suggests that the original bearer of the name may have been a person who worked with fire, such as a blacksmith or a glass blower.
One of the earliest known records of the name SWEEDLER can be found in the Nuremberg chronicle, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493. The name appears in its original spelling of "Swedler" in this chronicle, which provides valuable insight into the historical origins of the surname.
In the 16th century, the SWEEDLER name began to spread beyond Bavaria to other parts of Germany. During this time, variations in spelling emerged, including "Schwedler" and "Schweedler." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.
In the 17th century, a notable individual named Hans SWEEDLER (1612-1678) was recorded as a master glassblower in the city of Dresden. His work contributed to the development of the famous Meissen porcelain, and his name is mentioned in several historical accounts of the era.
Another significant figure was Johann SWEEDLER (1734-1801), a German philosopher and theologian. He wrote several influential works on ethics and metaphysics, and his teachings were widely studied in universities across Europe.
In the 19th century, the SWEEDLER name made its way to the United States through German immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Wilhelm SWEEDLER (1821-1897), who settled in Pennsylvania and worked as a blacksmith. His descendants went on to establish a prominent family business in the region.
Another notable figure from this period was Anna SWEEDLER (1848-1923), a pioneering female educator. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Berlin, Germany, and was recognized for her contributions to advancing women's education.
Throughout its history, the surname SWEEDLER has been associated with various professions and occupations, particularly those involving fire and metalwork. Despite its German origins, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, with individuals bearing this surname making significant contributions in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sweedler
Among Census respondents with the surname Sweedler, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sweedler 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 Sweedler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 105
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sweedler
Sweedler 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,489 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-11 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 12,489 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 10,231 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 Sweedler 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 | #142,108 | #152,339 | -7.2% |
| Count | 117 | 106 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sweedler bearers went from 117 to 106 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 10,231 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #152,339.
FAQ
Sweedler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sweedler?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Sweedler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Sweedler?
Sweedler ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Sweedler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Sweedler.
Has Sweedler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sweedler went from 117 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Sweedler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sweedler, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Sweedler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sweedler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Sweedler (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 Sweedler mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "schweider" meaning swordmaker or bladesmith. 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 Sweedler (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 Sweedler?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Sweedler at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.