2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Swiader
A Polish surname derived from a word meaning someone who worked with swine or pigs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Swiader. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swiader 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Swiader in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swiader, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swiader
The surname Swiader is of Polish origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Greater Poland, specifically in the areas around the city of Poznan. The name is likely derived from the old Polish word "świader," which referred to a person who engaged in the trade of producing or selling candles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Swiader can be found in the Liber Beneficiorum, a 15th-century document that served as a record of land ownership and privileges granted by the Archdiocese of Gniezno. This document mentions a certain "Swiadrio de Kobylin," suggesting that the name was already in use in the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Swiader name appears in various municipal records and court documents from the towns of Poznan and Kalisz. One notable figure from this era was Jan Swiader, a merchant and landowner who lived in Poznan between 1542 and 1612. His name is mentioned in several contracts and property transactions from that time.
During the 17th century, the Swiader family seems to have expanded their influence, with several members holding positions of authority in various towns and villages across Greater Poland. One such individual was Tomasz Swiader, who served as the mayor of the town of Koscian from 1673 to 1681.
As the centuries progressed, the Swiader name continued to be associated with various professions and occupations. In the 18th century, there was a famous painter named Jakub Swiader, who was known for his religious works and portraits. He was born in 1712 in the town of Kalisz and died in 1784.
Another notable figure with the Swiader surname was Franciszek Swiader, a Polish military officer who fought in the November Uprising against Russian imperial rule in the early 19th century. He was born in 1798 and died in 1835 from injuries sustained during the conflict.
Throughout its long history, the Swiader name has maintained a strong presence in Poland, particularly in the regions of Greater Poland and Kuyavia. While it may not be among the most common Polish surnames, it has a rich legacy that spans several centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swiader
Among Census respondents with the surname Swiader, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Swiader 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 Swiader surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 107
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swiader
Swiader 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
+15 bearers (+13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,163 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+13.8%) | Up 5,163 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7,195 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 Swiader 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 | #142,788 | -5.3% |
| Count | 124 | 119 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swiader bearers went from 124 to 119 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7,195 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #142,788.
FAQ
Swiader surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swiader?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Swiader. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Swiader?
Swiader ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Swiader. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Swiader.
Has Swiader become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swiader went from 124 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Swiader?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swiader, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Swiader in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swiader appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Swiader (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 Swiader mean?
A Polish surname derived from a word meaning someone who worked with swine or pigs. 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 Swiader (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 Swiader?
See how common the surname Swiader is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.