2000
#79,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 222
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Zwanziger
A German surname derived from the Old German word "zwanzig" meaning twenty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 241 Americans carry the last name Zwanziger. That puts it at #93,627 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,422,217 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zwanziger 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
241
1 in 1,422,217
Census rank
#93,627
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
210
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 210 bearers of the surname Zwanziger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 93627th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwanziger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zwanziger
The surname Zwanziger originates from the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly from areas that are now part of Germany and Austria. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 14th centuries. The name is likely derived from the German word "zwanzig," which means "twenty" in English. This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have been associated with the number twenty, either through their line of work, a characteristic, or a symbolic representation.
Early records showcasing the surname Zwanziger are scarce, but certain mentions in regional documents and parish registers indicate its presence. Such records often highlight variations in spelling, including Zwanzicker and Zwanziger, due to the lack of standardized spelling during those times. These variations can be seen in older manuscripts or legal documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, often recorded in the regions of Bavaria and Austria.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced to a Bavarian land ownership document from 1462, featuring a Hans Zwanziger who was noted as a landholder. Another early bearer of the name, Margarethe Zwanziger, is mentioned in a church register from Nuremberg in 1503. These early examples demonstrate the presence and usage of the surname within specific German-speaking communities.
A notable historical figure with this surname is Franz Zwanziger, born in 1761 and died in 1830, who was a well-known clockmaker in Vienna. His craftsmanship contributed to the spread of the Zwanziger name as his timepieces were highly regarded across Europe. Another distinguished individual is Georg Zwanziger, born in 1820 and died in 1875, a philologist who made significant contributions to Germanic studies and whose works are still referenced today.
Moving into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Albert Zwanziger, born in 1869 and died in 1950, emerged as a prominent political figure in Bavaria. He was an influential member of the Bavarian parliament and played a crucial role during the socio-political changes that predated World War I. His active involvement in regional politics helped cement the name in historical records of the time.
In more recent history, Theo Zwanziger, born in 1945, is a renowned German lawyer and sports official who served as the president of the German Football Association (DFB). His leadership and reforms within the organization brought greater international recognition to the surname, linking it to modern sports and governance.
The history of the surname Zwanziger highlights its deep roots within German-speaking regions, its evolution over centuries, and its association with various professional and social domains. The legacy of the name is preserved through historical documentation, notable individuals’ achievements, and its continued presence within the German cultural landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zwanziger
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwanziger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zwanziger 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 Zwanziger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 199
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 6
- Two or more races1.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zwanziger
Zwanziger 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
#93,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
-25 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 13,449 places
2020
#93,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 210
+13 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 502 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #79,676 | 222 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #93,125 | 197 | 0.07 | -25 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 13,449 places |
| 2020 | #93,627 | 210 | 0.07 | +13 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 502 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 Zwanziger 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 | #93,125 | #93,627 | -0.5% |
| Count | 197 | 210 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zwanziger bearers went from 197 to 210 (+6.6% change). The surname moved down 502 positions in the national ranking, going from #93,125 to #93,627.
FAQ
Zwanziger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zwanziger?
Name Census estimates that about 241 living Americans carry the surname Zwanziger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,422,217 residents.
How common is Zwanziger?
Zwanziger ranks #93,627 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 210 people with the surname Zwanziger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (241), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Zwanziger.
Has Zwanziger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zwanziger went from 197 recorded bearers to 210. That is an increase of 13 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #93,125 to #93,627.
What does the Census say about the background of Zwanziger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwanziger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Zwanziger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (199 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zwanziger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Zwanziger (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 Zwanziger mean?
A German surname derived from the Old German word "zwanzig" meaning twenty. 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 Zwanziger (0.07 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 are called Zwanziger?
See how many Americans have the surname Zwanziger on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.