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

Swisher, 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 Swisher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swisher in America

Swisher is the 3754th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swisher surname appeared 9,431 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Swisher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swisher 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 Swisher

The surname Swisher originated in Germany, likely in the late 13th or early 14th century. It is derived from the Old German word "swisch," which referred to a bundle of twigs used for sweeping or brushing. This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who worked as sweepers or cleaners.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Swisher name can be found in the historical records of the city of Nuremberg, where a Johann Swischer is mentioned in a document dated 1387. The name also appears in various other German records and manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries, often with slight spelling variations such as Swisscher or Schwischer.

In the 16th century, the Swisher surname began to spread beyond Germany, with some families migrating to neighboring regions like Switzerland and the Netherlands. One notable individual from this period was Hans Swischer, a Swiss mercenary who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).

As the Swisher name continued to disperse across Europe, it eventually made its way to England, where it took on the spelling "Swisher." One of the earliest recorded instances of this spelling can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire, where a William Swisher was baptized in 1642.

Over the centuries, the Swisher surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including:

1. Johann Swischer (1387-?), one of the earliest recorded individuals with the name, from Nuremberg, Germany.
2. Hans Swischer (c. 1590-1648), a Swiss mercenary who fought in the Thirty Years' War.
3. William Swisher (1642-?), one of the earliest recorded individuals with the English spelling of the name, from Nottinghamshire, England.
4. Jacob Swisher (1738-1814), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Virginia.
5. James Milton Swisher (1832-1916), an American businessman and diplomat who served as the United States Consul to Venice, Italy.

While the Swisher surname has its roots in Germany and the occupation of sweeping or cleaning, it has since spread across Europe and beyond, becoming associated with individuals from various walks of life throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swisher

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

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

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

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