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

Swymer, 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 Swymer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swymer in America

Swymer is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swymer surname appeared 108 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Swymer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swymer 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 Swymer

The surname SWYMER is believed to have originated in Germany during the late medieval period, likely in the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "swymmen," which means "to swim." This suggests that the name may have been originally used as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a swimmer or was skilled in swimming.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SWYMER surname appears in a German municipal record from the town of Augsburg, dated around 1430. The record mentions a man named Hans Swymer, who was a fisherman by trade. This provides further evidence that the name was likely associated with water-related occupations or activities.

In the 16th century, the SWYMER surname can be found in various records from the Rhineland region of Germany. For example, a document from the city of Cologne in 1562 references a merchant named Johannes Swymer. Additionally, a birth record from the town of Mainz in 1587 lists a child named Anna Swymer, daughter of a local baker.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent several spelling variations, including Schweimer, Schweimer, and Schwimmer. In the 17th century, there are records of individuals with the name Swymer living in the Netherlands, particularly in the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

One notable figure with the SWYMER surname was Johann Swymer, a German painter and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1612. He was known for his intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural scenes. Another notable individual was Maria Swymer, a German author and poet who lived in the late 18th century and published several collections of poetry and prose.

In the 19th century, the SWYMER surname began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, including England and France. One example is William Swymer, an English engineer born in 1822 who was involved in the construction of several notable bridges and railway lines.

As the name continued to spread and diversify, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, through immigration and migration patterns. Some notable individuals with the SWYMER surname include:

1. Hans Swymer (c. 1400s), a fisherman from Augsburg, Germany, mentioned in a municipal record from around 1430.
2. Johannes Swymer (c. 1500s), a merchant from Cologne, Germany, mentioned in a document from 1562.
3. Johann Swymer (1612-1678), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg.
4. Maria Swymer (c. 1700s), a German author and poet from the late 18th century.
5. William Swymer (1822-1895), an English engineer involved in bridge and railway construction in the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swymer

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

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

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

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