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

Sweigart, 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 Sweigart surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sweigart in America

Sweigart is the 11789th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sweigart surname appeared 2,658 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 Sweigart.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sweigart 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 Sweigart

The surname Sweigart is believed to have originated in Germany, possibly in the region of Bavaria. It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, sometime between the 11th and 15th centuries.

One theory suggests that the name Sweigart is derived from the Old German word "sweiga," meaning a herdsman or keeper of swine. This would indicate that the name's origins are occupational, referring to someone who tended to pigs or worked with swine.

Another possibility is that the name Sweigart is a locational surname, derived from a place name. There are several villages and towns in Germany with similar names, such as Schweigern or Schweigen, which could have contributed to the formation of the surname.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Sweigart can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable example is Johann Sweigart, a German immigrant who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1732.

In the 18th century, the name appears in various historical records and documents across Germany. For instance, a reference to a certain Hans Sweigart can be found in the church records of the town of Ettlingen, near Karlsruhe, in 1756.

During the 19th century, the Sweigart surname gained prominence with several notable individuals. One such person was Christian Sweigart (1795-1868), a German-American farmer and businessman who played a significant role in the early development of Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Another prominent figure was Adam Sweigart (1832-1908), a German-American businessman and philanthropist from Reading, Pennsylvania. He founded the Sweigart & Son Company, a successful manufacturing enterprise, and made substantial contributions to educational institutions.

In the field of academia, Carl Sweigart (1876-1953) was an American educator and author who served as the president of Heidelberg College in Ohio from 1923 to 1949.

Additionally, the name Sweigart has been associated with various place names and locations throughout history. For instance, there is a small community called Sweigartsville in Berks County, Pennsylvania, which was likely named after an early settler with the Sweigart surname.

While the surname Sweigart is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its Germanic roots, where it may have originated as either an occupational or locational surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sweigart

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

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

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

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