2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Zweibel
A German surname derived from the word "zwiebel" meaning onion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Zweibel. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zweibel 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Zweibel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zweibel, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zweibel
The surname Zweibel traces its origins back to medieval Germany. The name derives from the German word "Zwiebel," which means "onion." This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for someone who grew or sold onions. The use of plant-based surnames was not uncommon in German-speaking regions during the Middle Ages, highlighting the agricultural roots of many communities.
Geographic distribution of the name Zweibel in early records is primarily found in the regions of Bavaria and the Rhineland. Early spellings of the surname, such as "Zwibel" and "Zwiebl," can be found in various manuscripts and parish records dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in a Bavarian tax register from 1367, where a Hannes Zwibel is listed as a landowner and farmer.
The surname evolved slightly in its orthography over time, possibly due to changes in dialects and regional linguistic variations. In some regions, the name was also recorded as "Zwiebler" before settling on the more standardized spelling. Another notable early reference is found in a 15th-century Rhineland manuscript documenting trade transactions, mentioning a merchant named Kaspar Zwiebler who was active around 1475-1490.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Zweibel achieved prominence in their respective fields. Hans Zweibel, born in 1521, was a notable physician and botanist in Nuremberg, whose work in plant medicine was pioneering for his time. His contributions to herbal remedies are still recognized in historical texts on early European medicine.
The name also appears in cultural history. Johann Zweibelman, born in 1674, was a celebrated composer in the Viennese Baroque music scene. His compositions for the harpsichord and early forms of chamber music were highly regarded in his era. Another influential figure, Anna Maria Zweibel, born in 1759, was an early advocate for women's education in Prussia, and she founded several schools for girls in the late 18th century.
Emigrants with the surname Zweibel also contributed to the spreading of the name beyond German borders. Jacob Zweibel, born in 1823, immigrated to the United States and became a prominent figure in the German-American community in Milwaukee, contributing significantly to local politics and the brewing industry. His descendants continued to influence the area's cultural heritage.
Finally, in the academic field, Dr. Ludwig Zweibel, born in 1870, was a renowned scholar in classical languages and literature. His extensive work on the translation and interpretation of Ancient Greek texts gained international recognition in the early 20th century.
The surname Zweibel carries a rich history intertwined with various geographical regions, dialectal influences, and noteworthy individuals who have made their mark through the centuries, reflecting the cultural and occupational origins from which it sprang.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zweibel
Among Census respondents with the surname Zweibel, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zweibel 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 Zweibel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zweibel
Zweibel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 5,293 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 Zweibel 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 | #160,975 | #155,682 | 3.3% |
| Count | 100 | 100 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zweibel bearers went from 100 to 100 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 5,293 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #155,682.
FAQ
Zweibel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zweibel?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Zweibel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Zweibel?
Zweibel ranks #155,682 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 100 people with the surname Zweibel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), 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 Zweibel.
Has Zweibel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zweibel went from 100 recorded bearers to 100. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Zweibel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zweibel, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (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 Zweibel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zweibel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Hispanic (1.0%), Two or More Races (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 Zweibel (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 Zweibel mean?
A German surname derived from the word "zwiebel" meaning onion. 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 Zweibel (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 Americans have the surname Zweibel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.