2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zwierlein
A German surname likely derived from "zwier" meaning ball or sphere.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Zwierlein. 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 Zwierlein 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 Zwierlein 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 Zwierlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zwierlein
The surname Zwierlein originates from Germany, with its roots tracing back to the early medieval period. The name likely stems from the regions of Bavaria or Franconia, areas known for their rich Germanic history and cultural heritage. The name is derived from an old German word, possibly connected to "Zwirn" (meaning thread) or "Zwielicht" (meaning twilight), suggesting an occupational or descriptive origin. Variants and similar spellings in early records include Zwirline, Zwierlin, and Zwierlein.
The earliest historical references to the surname Zwierlein appear in church and municipal records from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. These documents, often written in Latin or early modern German, provide insight into the lives of those bearing the name. One of the first recorded examples is Hans Zwierlein, a miller documented in Nürnberg around 1520. His name appears in tax records, indicating some level of prominence or property ownership.
In the 17th century, Matthias Zwierlein is noted in Franconian church registers. Born in 1625 and dying in 1688, Matthias was a notable figure because of his involvement in local politics and his role as a landowner. His documentation highlights the spelling variations of the surname during this period, such as Zwirline and Zwierlin.
The 18th century sees Johann Georg Zwierlein, born in 1730, who was a well-regarded blacksmith in Würzburg. His occupational skill was of significant importance to the local economy, and his name appears in guild records. Johann’s legacy continued through his descendants, who maintained the surname’s association with craftsmanship.
In the 19th century, the surname became more widely recorded as population records became more standardized. Karl Friedrich Zwierlein, born in 1804 in Bavaria, contributed to local agricultural innovations. His letters and farming logs, preserved in regional archives, offer detailed insights into rural life during his time.
Another notable individual is Wilhelm Zwierlein, a German philologist and academic born in 1865. His scholarly work on Germanic languages and literature earned him recognition in academic circles. Wilhelm's publications from the late 19th and early 20th centuries remain relevant in the study of medieval Germanic cultures.
The surname Zwierlein thus reflects a rich history spanning several centuries, with its bearers contributing to various facets of German society, from milling and blacksmithing to politics and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zwierlein
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwierlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Zwierlein 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 Zwierlein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.6% · 6
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zwierlein
Zwierlein 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
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 2,130 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 Zwierlein 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 | #153,769 | #151,639 | 1.4% |
| Count | 106 | 107 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zwierlein bearers went from 106 to 107 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 2,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #151,639.
FAQ
Zwierlein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zwierlein?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Zwierlein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Zwierlein?
Zwierlein 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 Zwierlein. 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 Zwierlein.
Has Zwierlein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zwierlein went from 106 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Zwierlein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwierlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.6%). 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 Zwierlein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zwierlein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Hispanic (6.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.6%). 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 Zwierlein (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 Zwierlein mean?
A German surname likely derived from "zwier" meaning ball or sphere. 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 Zwierlein (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 are called Zwierlein?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Zwierlein? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.