Find out how popular the last name Zwicker is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Zwicker.

Zwicker, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Zwicker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zwicker in America

Zwicker is the 23238th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zwicker surname appeared 1,097 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Zwicker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zwicker to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Zwicker

The surname Zwicker is of German origin and dates back several centuries. It is primarily rooted in the regions of Bavaria, particularly in areas such as Upper Franconia and the Upper Palatinate. The surname derives from the Middle High German term zwicken, which means "to pinch" or "to tweak." This occupational surname likely referred to someone who crafted small metal items, such as pins or screws, through a pinching or tweaking process.

Historical references to the surname can be traced back to medieval German manuscripts. One of the earliest known instances of the name appears in Bavarian tax records from the early 14th century, in which a family named Zwicker is mentioned as residents of a small village near Regensburg. This early record indicates that the family may have been involved in the local craft or metalworking trades.

In 1452, Johann Zwicker, a notable blacksmith, is recorded in Nuremberg’s guild records. His lineage continued to thrive in the metalworking industry, contributing to the city's economy during the late medieval period. By the late 15th century, the name Zwicker also appears in church registers and civic documents in other regions of Germany, exemplifying its spread beyond Bavaria.

The Zwicker family name gained further historical significance through Dr. Martin Zwicker (1550-1612), a scholar and physician who served at the court of Duke William V of Bavaria. Dr. Zwicker's medical treatises were highly regarded, and his work influenced the practices of early modern German medicine. His son, Heinrich Zwicker, continued his legacy as an academic, becoming a notable professor of natural sciences in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, records from the city of Dresden indicate a prominent merchant named Karl Zwicker (1723-1785) who was involved in the international trade of textiles and spices. His business ventures extended the reach of the Zwicker family name beyond the German-speaking world, notably into Eastern Europe and the Baltic regions.

Another notable mention includes Captain Hans Zwicker, who served with distinction in the Prussian military during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1776 and dying in 1830, his military service is documented in several military records and memoirs of the era, illustrating the family's contributions to German national defense and history.

The surname Zwicker thus encompasses a rich history of occupational significance, academic contributions, and military service, spanning several centuries and regions within Europe. From its origins in medieval Bavaria, the name has left a lasting legacy through various historical figures who have carried it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zwicker

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Zwicker.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Zwicker was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Zwicker has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Zwicker was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zwicker, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!