2000
#103,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Swindel
A surname derived from an occupation or action of swindling or cheating.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Swindel. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swindel 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Swindel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swindel, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swindel
The surname "Swindel" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "swindeln," which means "to deceive" or "to cheat." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as deceitful or dishonest.
The earliest known record of the name "Swindel" appears in a document from the town of Nuremberg in 1275, referring to a man named Hans Swindel. This document is part of the city's archives and provides valuable insight into the name's historical origins.
In the 14th century, the name "Swindel" can be found in various records from the Rhine region of Germany. One notable individual was Johann Swindel, a merchant who lived in Cologne from 1365 to 1422. His name appears in several trade records and contracts from that time period.
As the centuries passed, the name "Swindel" spread to other parts of Europe, including England and the Netherlands. In England, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name was William Swindel, who was born in Yorkshire in 1587 and served as a soldier during the English Civil War.
Another notable figure with the surname "Swindel" was Peter Swindel, a Dutch painter who lived from 1670 to 1735. He was known for his landscape paintings and was a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke, a prestigious association of artists.
In the 19th century, the name "Swindel" gained more prominence in the United States, as many German immigrants brought the name with them to the New World. One such individual was Heinrich Swindel, who was born in Bavaria in 1823 and immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1848. He became a successful farmer and landowner in the region.
It is worth noting that the name "Swindel" has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, there is a small village called Swindel in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which may have contributed to the surname's origins or served as a source of alternative spellings.
Overall, the surname "Swindel" has a rich and fascinating history, with its roots stretching back to medieval Germany and its meaning tied to the concept of deception or trickery. Despite its potentially negative connotations, the name has been borne by numerous individuals throughout the centuries, including merchants, artists, soldiers, and immigrants seeking new opportunities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swindel
Among Census respondents with the surname Swindel, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Swindel 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 Swindel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 93
- Black or African American6.7% · 7
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swindel
Swindel 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-31 bearers (-19.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,417 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-25 bearers (-19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #103,193 | 161 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -31 bearers (-19.3%) | Down 27,417 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-19.2%) | Down 22,379 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 Swindel 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 | #130,610 | #152,989 | -17.1% |
| Count | 130 | 105 | -19.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swindel bearers went from 130 to 105 (-19.2% change). The surname moved down 22,379 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #152,989.
FAQ
Swindel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swindel?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Swindel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Swindel?
Swindel ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Swindel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Swindel.
Has Swindel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swindel went from 130 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 25 (-19.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Swindel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swindel, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Swindel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swindel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Black (6.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Swindel (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 Swindel mean?
A surname derived from an occupation or action of swindling or cheating. 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 Swindel (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 surname Swindel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.