2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zwemke
A German surname meaning "from the swimming pool" or "from the pond".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Zwemke. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zwemke 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Zwemke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwemke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zwemke
The surname Zwemke is believed to have originated in Northern Europe, likely in the region that is modern-day Germany or the surrounding areas, during the late medieval period. The name shares similarities with Low German and Dutch linguistic roots, suggesting a geographic origin in the North German Plain or the Low Countries. The earliest form of the surname possibly comes from words related to swimming or water. "Swemmen" in Old High German means to swim, which is comparable to the Dutch "zwemmen" and Low German "swemmen."
The earliest references to the name in historical records can be traced back to handwritten municipal documents and church registers from the 16th and 17th centuries. The name appears sporadically in records from rural communities along the rivers and coastal regions, indicating a possible connection to occupations or lifestyles involving water, such as fishing or ferrying. One of the earliest documented instances is found in a 1573 maritime trade ledger from the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, where a Johannes Zwemke is listed as a shipmaster.
In the 17th century, the name appears in baptismal records from the city of Hamburg. An entry dated 1628 mentions the baptism of Helmut Zwemke, the son of a local merchant. This indicates that the Zwemke family had established themselves in the burgeoning trade hubs of Northern Germany, thereby suggesting that the name may have been associated with mercantile activities.
Moving into the 18th century, one finds the name in military records from the Napoleonic Wars. Friedrich Zwemke was an officer in the Prussian army, born in 1771 and dying in 1834, who distinguished himself in several battles and later served as a city official in Berlin. His recorded history provides insights into the broader social mobility possible for individuals with the surname during this tumultuous period.
In the 19th century, the name Zwemke appears in emigration documents as families moved to America and other parts of the world seeking better opportunities. One notable immigrant was Carl Zwemke, born in 1821, who settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1850. He became a known figure in the local German-American community, contributing to civic life and helping to establish a Lutheran church in the area.
Another key figure is Anna Zwemke, born in 1859, who gained prominence as a midwife in rural Hanover. Her meticulous records and diaries, some of which are preserved in local archives, provide a vivid picture of life and medical practices during that era. She passed away in 1930, leaving a legacy of community service and healthcare improvement.
Through these historical vignettes, the surname Zwemke emerges as one linked to maritime and mercantile activity, military service, and community stewardship. Each mention in historical records adds to the composite identity of the Zwemke name, revealing a family history woven into the fabric of Northern European society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zwemke
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwemke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zwemke 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 Zwemke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino8.1% · 8
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zwemke
Zwemke 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+11 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,367 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-24 bearers (-19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 19,556 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 1,367 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -24 bearers (-19.5%) | Down 19,556 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 Zwemke 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 | #136,449 | #156,005 | -14.3% |
| Count | 123 | 99 | -19.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zwemke bearers went from 123 to 99 (-19.5% change). The surname moved down 19,556 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #156,005.
FAQ
Zwemke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zwemke?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Zwemke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Zwemke?
Zwemke ranks #156,005 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 99 people with the surname Zwemke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), 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 Zwemke.
Has Zwemke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zwemke went from 123 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 24 (-19.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Zwemke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwemke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Zwemke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zwemke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (8.1%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Zwemke (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 Zwemke mean?
A German surname meaning "from the swimming pool" or "from the pond". 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 Zwemke (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 are called Zwemke?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Zwemke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.