2000
#73,412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 246
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Zwerling
A German surname derived from the word "Zwerg" meaning dwarf or little person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 267 Americans carry the last name Zwerling. That puts it at #86,153 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,283,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zwerling 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
267
1 in 1,283,724
Census rank
#86,153
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
233
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 233 bearers of the surname Zwerling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 86153rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwerling, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zwerling
The surname Zwerling has its origins in Eastern Europe, most likely from the regions that are now modern-day Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. The name is believed to be of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. It is derived from the Yiddish word "tsvey" meaning "two" and "ling," a diminutive suffix. Thus, Zwerling could be translated roughly as "little second" or "second child." Another plausible theory suggests it derives from the German word "Zwirn," meaning "twine" or "thread," indicating a family involved in the textile industry.
Records from the 16th to 18th centuries in Poland and Ukraine contain mentions of families with variations of the surname Zwerling. These documents often arise from tax registries, community lists, and synagogue ledgers. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name appears in a 17th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth document, listing a Jacob Zwerling as a merchant.
In the town of Zhovkva, in what is now Ukraine, a register from the early 1700s lists an Abraham Zwerling as a prominent member of the Jewish community. Abraham’s involvement in the local trade suggests the family’s long-standing engagement in commerce. This aligns with the theory that the name has connections to the textile industry.
The surname appears in various historical texts and records throughout Europe. Salomon Zwerling, born in 1792 and deceased in 1857, was a well-known rabbi and scholar in Warsaw, Poland. His writings on Talmudic law had significant influence, which provided the family name with historical recognition.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, several members of the Zwerling family emigrated to the United States and other countries, escaping pogroms and seeking new opportunities. Among these immigrants was Louis Zwerling, an accomplished Hebrew poet and writer, born in 1873 and passing away in 1936. His works contributed significantly to early 20th-century Hebrew literature and provided cultural ties to his heritage.
Another notable figure was Dr. Isadore Zwerling, born in 1900 and deceased in 1985, an American physician known for his contributions to medical science, particularly in the field of oncology. His research publications were widely recognized, cementing the Zwerling name in the annals of medical history.
The surname Zwerling continued to be associated with academic and cultural achievements. Hillel Zwerling, an esteemed biologist born in 1925 and deceased in 1999, made significant contributions to the study of marine biology and ecological conservation. His extensive field research and publications left a lasting impact on the scientific community.
Throughout history, the Zwerling surname has been carried by individuals who made substantial contributions to their respective fields. Each of these figures provides a glimpse into the rich legacy and origins of the name. The evolution and spread of the surname reflect the broader historical movements and cultural shifts experienced by Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zwerling
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwerling, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Zwerling 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 Zwerling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 205
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 5
- Black or African American1.3% · 3
- Two or more races1.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zwerling
Zwerling 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
#77,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 248
+2 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 3,852 places
2020
#86,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 233
-15 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 8,889 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #73,412 | 246 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,264 | 248 | 0.08 | +2 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 3,852 places |
| 2020 | #86,153 | 233 | 0.08 | -15 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 8,889 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 Zwerling 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 | #77,264 | #86,153 | -11.5% |
| Count | 248 | 233 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zwerling bearers went from 248 to 233 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 8,889 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,264 to #86,153.
FAQ
Zwerling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zwerling?
Name Census estimates that about 267 living Americans carry the surname Zwerling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,283,724 residents.
How common is Zwerling?
Zwerling ranks #86,153 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 233 people with the surname Zwerling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Zwerling.
Has Zwerling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zwerling went from 248 recorded bearers to 233. That is a decrease of 15 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #77,264 to #86,153.
What does the Census say about the background of Zwerling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwerling, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Zwerling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (205 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zwerling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Zwerling (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 Zwerling mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Zwerg" meaning dwarf or little person. 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 Zwerling (0.08 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 share the surname Zwerling?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.