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

Zwiebel, 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 Zwiebel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zwiebel in America

Zwiebel is the 29793rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zwiebel surname appeared 789 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 Zwiebel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zwiebel 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 Zwiebel

The surname Zwiebel finds its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely dating back to the medieval period around the 13th or 14th centuries. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "zwivel," which translates to onion in English. This root indicates that the name may have been occupational in nature, likely denoting a person who grew or sold onions, or perhaps someone who lived near an onion field.

In Germany, surnames became more prevalent and standardized in the 14th and 15th centuries. The name Zwiebel was particularly common in rural areas where agriculture was the mainstay. Records from this period are sparse, but the name would have appeared in local tax records, church registries, and legal documents.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Zwiebel can be found in a 14th-century municipal register from the city of Nuremberg. Johannes Zwiebel, a merchant recorded in this register around the year 1365, is one of the earliest known bearers of the name. He was noted for exporting agricultural produce, which aligns with the occupational implication of the surname.

By the 16th century, another instance of the surname appears in the form of Anna Zwiebel, documented in the town of Augsburg in 1561. She was known to be involved in local civic activities and charity work, indicating the name's presence in both agricultural and urban settings.

During the Thirty Years' War in the early 17th century, Hans Zwiebel from the region of Baden-Württemberg was conscripted into the local militia. Records from 1623 show his service and subsequent contributions to the rebuilding of his town after the war.

In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Zwiebel, an academic born in Leipzig in 1738. He made significant contributions to the field of botany, authoring several texts on plant taxonomy before his death in 1789. His work further solidified the connection of the Zwiebel surname to agriculture and plant sciences.

The name Zwiebel is also connected to historical records in Switzerland. Ulrich Zwiebel, born in 1794 in Lucerne, was a prominent artisan known for his woodworking skills. He cataloged and designed some of the era's most intricate furniture pieces, which are now considered valuable antiques.

Overall, the surname Zwiebel has a rich history rooted primarily in Germany and parts of Switzerland, with ties to agriculture, trade, and academic endeavors. This historical journey highlights various individuals bearing the name and reflects its longstanding presence in European history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zwiebel

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

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 Zwiebel 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 Zwiebel 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 Zwiebel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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