2000
#330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 84,699
First available Census row
Per 100,000 31.40
Common Last name
Schwartz
A German and Jewish surname meaning "black," referring to someone with dark hair, dark complexion, or a blacksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 101,999 Americans carry the last name Schwartz. That puts it at #344 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 29.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,360 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwartz 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Schwartz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
102K
1 in 3,360
Census rank
#344
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
29.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
89K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 88,948 bearers of the surname Schwartz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 29.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 344th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwartz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwartz
The surname Schwartz originated from the German language, specifically in the regions of Germany and Switzerland, dating back to the early medieval period. Derived from the German word "schwarz," meaning "black," the name was likely originally a nickname or a descriptive term given to individuals with dark hair, complexion, or attire.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Schwartz can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents from the 9th to the 13th centuries, where it appears as "Swarzo" in the year 1195. Additionally, the surname is documented in the Biberacher Urkundenregesten, a compilation of records from the town of Biberach in southern Germany, in the year 1271.
The name Schwartz had various spellings throughout history, including Schwarz, Schwartzmann, Schwarzkopf, and Schwartzel, among others. Some notable bearers of this surname include the German philosopher and social theorist Karl Schwartz (1812-1885), the American industrialist and philanthropist Charles M. Schwab (1862-1939), and the legendary German composer and pianist Franz Schwartz (1810-1849).
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Johannes Schwartz, also known as Johannes de Nigra Villa, was a renowned theologian and author who played a significant role in the intellectual and religious discourse of the time. Another historical figure was Berthold Schwartz, a German monk and alchemist credited with the invention of gunpowder in the 13th century, though this claim is disputed by some historians.
The surname Schwartz has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout Europe. For instance, the town of Schwarzach in Austria, the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) region in southwestern Germany, and the Schwarzenburg Castle in Switzerland all bear connections to the name and its meaning.
Across different eras and regions, the Schwartz surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, military leaders, and politicians. Some notable examples include the German painter Hans Schwartz (1492-1567), the Swiss theologian and reformer Rudolf Schwartz (1499-1584), and the Prussian military leader and statesman Otto von Schwartz (1836-1917).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwartz
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwartz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Schwartz 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 Schwartz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 83,318
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 2,402
- Two or more races2.2% · 1,967
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 638
- Black or African American0.5% · 470
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 153
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwartz
Schwartz 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
#345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 90,071
+5,372 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 30.53
Rank movement Down 15 places
2020
#344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 88,948
-1,123 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 29.76
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #330 | 84,699 | 31.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #345 | 90,071 | 30.53 | +5,372 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 15 places |
| 2020 | #344 | 88,948 | 29.76 | -1,123 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 1 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 Schwartz 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 | #345 | #344 | 0.3% |
| Count | 90,071 | 88,948 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 30.53 | 29.76 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwartz bearers went from 90,071 to 88,948 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #345 to #344.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Schwartz
FAQ
Schwartz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwartz?
Name Census estimates that about 101,999 living Americans carry the surname Schwartz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,360 residents.
How common is Schwartz?
Schwartz ranks #344 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 29.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 30 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 88,948 people with the surname Schwartz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (101,999), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 29.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 29.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 30 of them to have the surname Schwartz.
Has Schwartz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwartz went from 90,071 recorded bearers to 88,948. That is a decrease of 1,123 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #345 to #344.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwartz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwartz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Schwartz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (83,318 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwartz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Schwartz (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 Schwartz mean?
A German and Jewish surname meaning "black," referring to someone with dark hair, dark complexion, or a blacksmith. 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 Schwartz (29.76 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 Schwartz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.