2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Swies
A surname possibly derived from the Polish term meaning "relative" or "kinsman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Swies. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swies 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Swies in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swies, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swies
The surname SWIES is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely in the area that is now modern-day Germany or Switzerland. The name is thought to derive from an older Germanic word or phrase, potentially related to the word "sweig," which meant something akin to a smallholding or a farm.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SWIES surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the former kingdom of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.
During the medieval period, the SWIES name appears to have been particularly concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia, both of which were then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Several historical records from these areas mention individuals with the SWIES surname, often in connection with landholdings or agricultural activities.
One notable early bearer of the SWIES name was Hans Swies, a farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in Bavaria, during the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was a respected member of the local community and played a role in the governance of the village.
Another prominent figure with the SWIES surname was Johann Swies, a scholar and theologian who was born in Nuremberg in the late 16th century. He studied at various universities across Europe and later became a professor of theology at the University of Heidelberg, where he taught for several years.
In the 17th century, a family of SWIES merchants and traders gained prominence in the city of Frankfurt, with several members of the family becoming successful in the textile and banking industries. One of the most notable among them was Jakob Swies, who was a respected banker and philanthropist in the city during the mid-1600s.
The 18th century saw the emergence of a renowned SWIES military officer, Wilhelm von Swies, who served in the Prussian army during the reign of Frederick the Great. He participated in several major battles and campaigns, including the Seven Years' War, and rose through the ranks to become a highly decorated general.
In the 19th century, a SWIES family from the Swabian region of Germany gained recognition in the field of viticulture and winemaking. The patriarch of this family, Johann Swies, established a successful winery in the village of Heilbronn, which remained in the family's possession for several generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swies
Among Census respondents with the surname Swies, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Swies 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 Swies surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 12
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swies
Swies 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+12 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,183 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+9 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 3,183 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 5,944 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 Swies 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 | #147,253 | #141,309 | 4.0% |
| Count | 112 | 121 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swies bearers went from 112 to 121 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 5,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #141,309.
FAQ
Swies surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swies?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Swies. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Swies?
Swies ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Swies. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Swies.
Has Swies become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swies went from 112 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 9 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Swies?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swies, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Swies in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swies appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Hispanic (9.9%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Swies (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 Swies mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Polish term meaning "relative" or "kinsman". 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 Swies (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 many people have the last name Swies?
Want to know how many people have the surname Swies? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.