2000
#12,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,301
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Zwick
A German occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells nails or tacks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,469 Americans carry the last name Zwick. That puts it at #13,508 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zwick 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
2.5K
1 in 138,823
Census rank
#13,508
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,153 bearers of the surname Zwick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13508th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zwick
The surname Zwick originated in the Swabian region of Germany during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German word "zwic," meaning a branch or twig, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent tree or wooded area.
The earliest known record of the name Zwick dates back to the 13th century in the town of Esslingen, located near Stuttgart. A document from 1274 mentions a certain "Henricus Zwic," which is believed to be one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Zwick family became well-established in the Swabian region, with several members attaining prominent positions in local government and trade guilds. Notable individuals from this period include Johannes Zwick (1362-1428), a respected merchant and alderman in the city of Ulm.
As the Zwick family spread across Germany and neighboring regions, various spellings of the name emerged, such as Zwicke, Zwicker, and Zwicky. One notable figure was Johann Baptist Zwicker (1572-1632), a Jesuit priest and theologian from Bavaria, who authored several influential works on religious philosophy.
In the 18th century, the Zwick surname appeared in numerous German-speaking areas, including Switzerland and Austria. One famous bearer of the name was Franz Xaver Zwicky (1898-1974), a Swiss astronomer and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of dark matter and supernovae.
Another notable individual was Karl Zwick (1891-1957), a German engineer and entrepreneur who founded the Zwick company, a leading manufacturer of testing machines and equipment for materials research. His innovations played a crucial role in advancing quality control and safety standards in various industries.
As German immigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the Zwick surname spread to new regions. For example, in the United States, one of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johann Zwick (1737-1811), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and became a successful farmer and landowner.
Throughout its history, the Zwick surname has been associated with a rich heritage and contributions across various fields, including commerce, religion, science, and engineering. While the name may have originated from a humble reference to a branch or twig, it has grown to encompass a diverse array of individuals and accomplishments.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zwick
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zwick 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 Zwick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 2,027
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 60
- Two or more races2.0% · 43
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zwick
Zwick 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
#13,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,273
-28 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 1,025 places
2020
#13,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,153
-120 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,382 | 2,301 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,407 | 2,273 | 0.77 | -28 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 1,025 places |
| 2020 | #13,508 | 2,153 | 0.72 | -120 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 101 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 Zwick 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 | #13,407 | #13,508 | -0.8% |
| Count | 2,273 | 2,153 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.72 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zwick bearers went from 2,273 to 2,153 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 101 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,407 to #13,508.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Zwick
FAQ
Zwick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zwick?
Name Census estimates that about 2,469 living Americans carry the surname Zwick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,823 residents.
How common is Zwick?
Zwick ranks #13,508 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,153 people with the surname Zwick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,469), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Zwick.
Has Zwick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zwick went from 2,273 recorded bearers to 2,153. That is a decrease of 120 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,407 to #13,508.
What does the Census say about the background of Zwick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) 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 Zwick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (2,027 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zwick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.8%), 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 Zwick (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 Zwick mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells nails or tacks. 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 Zwick (0.72 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 surname Zwick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.