2000
#3,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,986
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.70
Uncommon Last name
Schweitzer
An occupational surname for a person who herded or bred swine, derived from the German word "Schwein" meaning "pig."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,004 Americans carry the last name Schweitzer. That puts it at #3,615 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schweitzer 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 Schweitzer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,148
Census rank
#3,615
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,596 bearers of the surname Schweitzer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3615th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schweitzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schweitzer
The surname Schweitzer originates from the German-speaking areas of Europe, particularly Switzerland and southern Germany. It is derived from the German word "Schweiz," which means "Switzerland." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages as a way to identify individuals who migrated from Switzerland to other regions.
The earliest known record of the Schweitzer name dates back to the 13th century in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. In 1275, a document mentions a "Heinrich Schweitzer," referring to someone from Switzerland. This suggests that the name was already in use at that time.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Schweitzer name appeared in various historical records across the Swiss Confederacy and neighboring German territories. For instance, a "Hans Schweitzer" was mentioned in a land registry in the city of Zurich in 1392.
One of the most notable individuals with the Schweitzer surname was Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), a German-French philosopher, theologian, and medical missionary. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his humanitarian efforts in Africa.
Another prominent figure was Johann Baptist von Schweitzer (1834-1875), a German-American missionary and explorer. He was the first European to explore the interior of Liberia and documented his findings in a book published in 1868.
In the 16th century, a "Peter Schweitzer" was recorded as a landowner in the town of Thun, Switzerland, in 1532. This suggests that the name had become well-established in various Swiss regions by that time.
The Schweitzer surname also has ties to place names in Switzerland. For example, the village of Schweizerholz in the canton of Bern likely derived its name from the presence of Swiss settlers in the area during the Middle Ages.
Another notable figure was Johann Schweitzer (1625-1687), a German-Swiss theologian and professor at the University of Zurich. He was a prominent figure in the Reformed Church and wrote several influential theological works.
In the 18th century, a "Jakob Schweitzer" was recorded as a member of the Zurich City Council in 1745, indicating that the Schweitzer family had achieved a certain level of social status and influence in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schweitzer
Among Census respondents with the surname Schweitzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schweitzer 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 Schweitzer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 8,908
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 297
- Two or more races2.6% · 253
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 34
- Black or African American0.3% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schweitzer
Schweitzer 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
#3,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,068
+82 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 3.41
Rank movement Down 251 places
2020
#3,615
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,596
-472 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 3.21
Rank movement Down 71 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,293 | 9,986 | 3.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,544 | 10,068 | 3.41 | +82 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 251 places |
| 2020 | #3,615 | 9,596 | 3.21 | -472 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 71 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 Schweitzer 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 | #3,544 | #3,615 | -2.0% |
| Count | 10,068 | 9,596 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.41 | 3.21 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schweitzer bearers went from 10,068 to 9,596 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 71 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,544 to #3,615.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Schweitzer
FAQ
Schweitzer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schweitzer?
Name Census estimates that about 11,004 living Americans carry the surname Schweitzer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,148 residents.
How common is Schweitzer?
Schweitzer ranks #3,615 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,596 people with the surname Schweitzer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Schweitzer.
Has Schweitzer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schweitzer went from 10,068 recorded bearers to 9,596. That is a decrease of 472 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,544 to #3,615.
What does the Census say about the background of Schweitzer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schweitzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schweitzer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (8,908 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schweitzer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schweitzer (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 Schweitzer mean?
An occupational surname for a person who herded or bred swine, derived from the German word "Schwein" meaning "pig." 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 Schweitzer (3.21 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 Schweitzer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.