2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Swortzel
A surname derived from the medieval German word "Swartz", meaning black.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Swortzel. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swortzel 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Swortzel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swortzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swortzel
The surname SWORTZEL is of German origin, traced back to the early 16th century in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to derive from the Old German word "sworz," meaning black or dark, combined with the suffix "-el," indicating a diminutive form. This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone with a darker complexion or hair color.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SWORTZEL name appears in a 1532 document from the town of Nuremberg, referencing a "Hans Swortzel" among a list of local citizens. This indicates the name was already established in the area by the early 1500s.
In the 17th century, the SWORTZEL name can be found in various church records and parish registers throughout southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One notable entry is the baptismal record of Johann Michael Swortzel, born in 1672 in the village of Pforzheim.
As the name spread across German-speaking lands, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Schwartzel, Schworzel, and Sworzell. These variations reflect regional dialects and differences in local scribes' interpretations.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, many German families bearing the SWORTZEL name immigrated to North America, drawn by the promise of new opportunities and religious freedom. One of the earliest recorded instances in the New World is that of Johann Georg Swortzel, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749 from the Palatinate region of Germany.
Another notable figure with the SWORTZEL surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Swortzel (1812-1891), a German-American artist and lithographer known for his landscapes and portraits. He settled in St. Louis, Missouri, where he established a successful artistic career.
In the late 19th century, Anna Swortzel (1859-1942), a teacher and activist, played a significant role in promoting women's education and suffrage in Ohio. She founded the Swortzel School for Girls in Cleveland, which operated until the early 20th century.
Johannes Swortzel (1876-1958), a German-born engineer, made important contributions to the development of early automobiles. He worked for several prominent automotive companies, including Daimler-Benz, and held several patents related to engine design and construction.
More recently, Hans Swortzel (1935-2017) was a renowned German architect known for his innovative and sustainable building designs. His most famous works include the Swortzel Residence in Munich and the Swortzel Office Complex in Berlin.
While the SWORTZEL name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its German roots and historical significance remain firmly established, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of those who have carried this distinctive surname throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swortzel
Among Census respondents with the surname Swortzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Swortzel 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 Swortzel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.0% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swortzel
Swortzel 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,950 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,501 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,950 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 1,501 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 Swortzel 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 | #153,769 | #155,270 | -1.0% |
| Count | 106 | 101 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swortzel bearers went from 106 to 101 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 1,501 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #155,270.
FAQ
Swortzel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swortzel?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Swortzel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Swortzel?
Swortzel ranks #155,270 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 101 people with the surname Swortzel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), 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 Swortzel.
Has Swortzel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swortzel went from 106 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Swortzel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swortzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.0%) and Hispanic (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 Swortzel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swortzel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.0%), Hispanic (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 Swortzel (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 Swortzel mean?
A surname derived from the medieval German word "Swartz", meaning black. 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 Swortzel (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 have the surname Swortzel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.