2000
#55,376
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 347
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Zwiers
A Dutch surname potentially derived from the occupation of manufacturing or selling ropes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 453 Americans carry the last name Zwiers. That puts it at #55,981 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 756,632 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zwiers 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
453
1 in 756,632
Census rank
#55,981
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
395
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 395 bearers of the surname Zwiers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55981st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwiers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zwiers
The surname Zwiers is of Dutch origin, emerging predominantly in the Netherlands during the early modern period. The name is most commonly associated with the provinces of Friesland and Groningen, areas known for their distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage within the broader Dutch context. The surname is believed to derive from the Dutch given name Swier, an old Frisian name that evolved over centuries. The suffix -s signifies "son of," making Zwiers essentially mean "son of Swier."
Historical references to the surname Zwiers are found in regional records dating back to the 17th century. Church records from Friesland and Groningen often list individuals bearing the name, indicating that it had solidified into hereditary use by this period. One of the earliest documented references can be traced to a 1653 birth record in the small village of Appingedam in Groningen, where a Jan Zwiers is noted.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Zwiers have made notable contributions in various fields. One such person is Pieter Zwiers, born in 1704 and a prominent farmer in Friesland who documented agricultural practices of the time. Another historical figure is Willem Zwiers, a shipbuilder born in 1759 in the maritime town of Harlingen, who played a crucial role in the development of Dutch naval architecture during the late 18th century.
Johannes Zwiers, a theologian born in 1822, became influential in the Netherlands' Protestant Reformation during the mid-19th century. His published works contributed to theological debates and are still referenced in religious studies today. Another noteworthy individual is Hendrik Zwiers, born in 1884, an artist whose landscape paintings captured the pastoral beauty of the Dutch countryside and are exhibited in art museums across the Netherlands.
In more recent history, Anneke Zwiers, born 1942, emerged as a well-known sociologist whose research focused on the social dynamics of rural Dutch communities. Her work has been published extensively and informs contemporary sociological theories about community life and social change.
The surname Zwiers, while not one of the most common, carries a rich tapestry of history rooted in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen. From early agriculturalists to influential theologians and artists, those bearing the name have significantly impacted Dutch culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zwiers
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwiers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zwiers 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 Zwiers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 371
- Two or more races3.0% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 11
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zwiers
Zwiers 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
#55,962
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 366
+19 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 586 places
2020
#55,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 395
+29 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,376 | 347 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,962 | 366 | 0.12 | +19 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 586 places |
| 2020 | #55,981 | 395 | 0.13 | +29 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 19 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 Zwiers 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 | #55,962 | #55,981 | -0.0% |
| Count | 366 | 395 | 7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.13 | 10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zwiers bearers went from 366 to 395 (+7.9% change). The surname moved down 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,962 to #55,981.
FAQ
Zwiers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zwiers?
Name Census estimates that about 453 living Americans carry the surname Zwiers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 756,632 residents.
How common is Zwiers?
Zwiers ranks #55,981 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 395 people with the surname Zwiers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (453), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Zwiers.
Has Zwiers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zwiers went from 366 recorded bearers to 395. That is an increase of 29 (+7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #55,962 to #55,981.
What does the Census say about the background of Zwiers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwiers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Zwiers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (371 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zwiers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Zwiers (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 Zwiers mean?
A Dutch surname potentially derived from the occupation of manufacturing or selling ropes. 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 Zwiers (0.13 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 Americans have the surname Zwiers?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.