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

Swick, 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 Swick surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swick in America

Swick is the 7284th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swick surname appeared 4,574 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Swick.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swick 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 Swick

The surname SWICK is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "swīg," which means "silence" or "quiet," and was likely used as a descriptive surname for someone who was known for their reserved or taciturn nature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SWICK surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, which mentions a "Henricus Swick" in the year 1312. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 14th century.

In the 15th century, records from Nuremberg, a city in Bavaria, mention a "Hans Swick," who was a prominent merchant and landowner. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of Germany by that time.

During the 16th century, the SWICK surname began appearing in various historical records across Europe, as people migrated from their ancestral homelands. One notable example is Johannes Swick, a German cartographer and explorer who was born in Nuremberg in 1540 and traveled extensively throughout the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands.

As the SWICK surname spread, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Swick, Swigk, Schwigk, and Schwiek, reflecting regional dialects and phonetic adaptations. In some areas, the name may have been associated with the Old High German word "swīgan," meaning "to be silent" or "to be still."

Several notable individuals have borne the SWICK surname throughout history, including:

1. Johann Swick (1592-1657), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Brandenburg.
2. Christoph Swick (1675-1744), a German painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.
3. Theodor Swick (1810-1878), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian National Assembly.
4. Karl Swick (1856-1925), a German-American architect who designed numerous buildings in Chicago and other cities across the Midwest.
5. Gertrude Swick (1879-1958), an American social worker and advocate for women's rights, who played a significant role in the establishment of the Girl Scouts of the USA.

While the SWICK surname may have evolved and spread across different regions, its origins can be traced back to its German roots, where it served as a descriptive surname reflecting the reserved or quiet nature of its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swick

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

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

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

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