2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Switzenberg
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the word "berg" meaning mountain in German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Switzenberg. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Switzenberg 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Switzenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Switzenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Switzenberg
The surname Switzenberg is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the town of Switzenberg, located in the southern region of Germany. The name itself is a combination of the Old German word "switz," meaning "burnt" or "scorched," and the word "berg," meaning "mountain" or "hill." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived near a scorched or burnt mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Switzenberg can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 12th century. In this record, a man named Johannes Switzenberg is mentioned as a landowner in the region of Swabia in southern Germany.
During the 13th century, the name Switzenberg appeared in various legal documents and tax records in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One notable example is the mention of a knight named Konrad von Switzenberg in a manuscript from 1267, describing his participation in a local tournament.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure with the surname Switzenberg was Hans Switzenberg (1420-1488), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. His writings on religious philosophy and ethics were widely influential during the Renaissance period.
Another noteworthy individual was Margarethe Switzenberg (1525-1598), a German noblewoman who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. She was a close confidante of Martin Luther and provided financial support to the reformist movement.
In the 17th century, the name Switzenberg appeared in various records across German-speaking regions, often associated with landowners, merchants, and craftsmen. One such example is Johann Switzenberg (1635-1712), a master blacksmith from the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, whose intricate metalwork pieces were highly sought after by the local nobility.
As the centuries progressed, the Switzenberg name continued to be found in various historical documents, including church records, military rosters, and genealogical archives across Germany and neighboring regions. While the spelling may have varied slightly over time, the core elements of the name remained largely unchanged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Switzenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Switzenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Switzenberg 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 Switzenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 103
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Switzenberg
Switzenberg 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+18 bearers (+17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,684 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-18 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.3%) | Up 8,684 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 16,263 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 Switzenberg 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 | #137,327 | #153,590 | -11.8% |
| Count | 122 | 104 | -14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Switzenberg bearers went from 122 to 104 (-14.8% change). The surname moved down 16,263 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #153,590.
FAQ
Switzenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Switzenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Switzenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Switzenberg?
Switzenberg ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Switzenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Switzenberg.
Has Switzenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Switzenberg went from 122 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Switzenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Switzenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%). 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 Switzenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Switzenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Switzenberg (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 Switzenberg mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the word "berg" meaning mountain in German. 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 Switzenberg (0.03 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 share the surname Switzenberg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.