2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Zwerneman
A Germanic name likely derived from a place name or occupational term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Zwerneman. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zwerneman 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Zwerneman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwerneman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zwerneman
The surname Zwerneman has its origins in Germany, specifically within the region known as Bavaria. First recorded in medieval times, the name has Germanic roots and traces back to the 14th century. Bavaria, known for its dense forests, rolling hills, and important trade routes, was the backdrop for many surnames that sprouted from occupations, geographical features, or characteristics of the first bearers.
The name Zwerneman is derived from the older German word "Zwern" or "Schwer," which translates to "heavy" or "weighty." The suffix "man" or "mann" denotes "man" in English, potentially indicating someone who was either a strong individual or involved in an occupation related to weight or heavy lifting such as a stone worker or blacksmith.
Historical references to the name can be found in various Bavarian records and charters. One of the earliest instances appears in a village registry from the 15th century, detailing the inhabitants of a small Bavarian hamlet. An Ulrich Zwerneman, born around 1450, is mentioned for his contributions to the local church, establishing the name's presence within the community.
During the 17th century, the name appears in land grant documents. A notable Zwerneman from this period is Johann Zwerneman, born in 1625, who was involved in agricultural development and is documented in the archives of the Bavarian Ducal archives. His work and lineage have been preserved in several archived letters and tax records.
In the 18th century, the name had variations, including "Zwernemann" or "Schwerneman," seen in different dialects and regions. Markus Zwerneman, born in 1701 and deceased in 1765, was a master brewer. His brewery was well-known in Munich for its stout, a heavy and strong beer, possibly an indication of the name's connection to strength and weight.
By the late 19th century, the name had spread to other parts of Germany and even to the United States with waves of European immigration. Heinrich Zwerneman, born 1854, was a craftsman who moved to America in the 1880s and established a successful carpentry business in Pennsylvania. His descendants notably preserved their German heritage through traditional crafts and annual fairs.
Throughout history, the name Zwerneman has been associated with individuals who were characterized by physical strength or were involved in physically demanding occupations. While the spelling may have slightly evolved over centuries, the roots and general meaning have remained constant, tying the modern bearers of the name back to their strong, industrious ancestors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zwerneman
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwerneman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zwerneman 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 Zwerneman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zwerneman
Zwerneman 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 5,595 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 Zwerneman 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 | #157,234 | #151,639 | 3.6% |
| Count | 103 | 107 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zwerneman bearers went from 103 to 107 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 5,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #151,639.
FAQ
Zwerneman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zwerneman?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Zwerneman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Zwerneman?
Zwerneman ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Zwerneman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Zwerneman.
Has Zwerneman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zwerneman went from 103 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Zwerneman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwerneman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Zwerneman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zwerneman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (1.9%), Black (0.9%). 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 Zwerneman (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 Zwerneman mean?
A Germanic name likely derived from a place name or occupational term. 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 Zwerneman (0.04 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 common is the surname Zwerneman?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Zwerneman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.