2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zwerner
German surname meaning someone from the village of Zwern.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Zwerner. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zwerner 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Zwerner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwerner, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zwerner
The surname Zwerner has its origins in German-speaking regions, likely originating in the medieval period, specifically between the 12th and 14th centuries. Surnames became commonplace during this era due to population growth and the need for more precise identification of individuals. The name Zwerner is thought to have originated in regions now within modern-day Germany, particularly around Bavaria or Austria, where many surnames began as occupational or descriptive traits.
The etymology of Zwerner can be traced back to Middle High German. The name is possibly derived from the Middle High German word "twer" or "zwer," which means "thorn" or "dwarf." This implies that the original bearers of the surname could have been individuals who had some characteristics associated with being small or possibly even working with thorny plants or in environments where such a trait was notable. Over time, linguistic evolution and regional dialects might have transformed "twerner" into Zwerner.
One of the earliest recorded instances of a similar surname appears in medieval manuscripts, which reference a "Twern" family in the late 13th century in the Bavarian region. While not identical, it shows the linguistic root that likely evolved into Zwerner. Another early document from the 14th century mentions a Hans Twerner, a blacksmith, in the region of Upper Austria.
Johann Zwerner, born in 1638 and died in 1705, was a notable individual carrying the surname. He was a watchmaker in Innsbruck, whose crafted timepieces were highly regarded in his era. His works can still occasionally be found in European antique collections.
In 1752, Christoph Zwerner, a shoemaker from Nuremberg, is documented to have moved to Vienna, where his craftsmanship earned him renown. He is recorded in municipal documents recognizing his contributions to local guilds until his death in 1801.
The Zwerner surname also appears in American colonial history. Heinrich Zwerner, born in 1778 in Hesse, Germany, emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1802. Heinrich played a notable role in his new community, participating in local governance and church affairs until his death in 1854.
Marie Zwerner, an influential figure in the 19th century, born in 1820 in Bavaria, emigrated to the United States in 1842. She was a pioneer for women's rights within her community in Cincinnati, Ohio, actively engaging in early suffragist movements and advocating for educational reforms until her death in 1895.
The name also appears in literary history. Karl Zwerner, born in 1850 in Baden-Württemberg, was a poet and author whose works reflect the socio-political upheavals of 19th-century Europe. His most famous collection, published in 1887, continues to be studied for its historical and cultural insights.
The Zwerner surname encapsulates a rich history spanning several centuries, marked by contributions to crafts, local governance, social reform, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zwerner
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwerner, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zwerner 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 Zwerner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino9.4% · 10
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zwerner
Zwerner 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,470 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,470 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 5,086 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 Zwerner 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 | #147,253 | #152,339 | -3.5% |
| Count | 112 | 106 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zwerner bearers went from 112 to 106 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 5,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #152,339.
FAQ
Zwerner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zwerner?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Zwerner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Zwerner?
Zwerner ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Zwerner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Zwerner.
Has Zwerner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zwerner went from 112 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Zwerner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwerner, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Zwerner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zwerner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Hispanic (9.4%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Zwerner (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 Zwerner mean?
German surname meaning someone from the village of Zwern. 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 Zwerner (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 many people have the last name Zwerner?
See how many people have the surname Zwerner on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.