Explore the Family Name Schwan

The meaning of Schwan

1. German: from Middle High German, Middle Low German swan ‘swan’, applied as a nickname derived for a very clean person or for someone with a long neck; alternatively, a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a swan. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Schwan ‘swan’. Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Manfred, Bernhard, Ernst, Gerhart.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Schwan in the United States?

The surname Schwan, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, has seen a slight decrease in popularity over a decade, moving from rank 14,363 in 2000 to 14,545 in 2010, representing a change of -1.27%. Despite this drop in ranking, the count of people with the surname Schwan increased by 7.22% during the same period, rising from 1,911 to 2,049. However, the proportion of people named Schwan per 100,000 decreased slightly from 0.71 to 0.69, marking a -2.82% change.

20002010Change
Rank#14,363#14,545-1.27%
Count1,9112,0497.22%
Proportion per 100k0.710.69-2.82%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Schwan

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the surname Schwan identify as White, at 96.34% in 2000 and 95.61% in 2010, experiencing a slight decrease of -0.76%. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also decreased from 0.89% to 0.78%, a change of -12.36%. In contrast, the percentage identifying as having two or more ethnic identities nearly doubled, from 0.52% to 1.02%. The Hispanic community saw a modest increase of 9.29%, going from 1.83% in 2000 to 2.00% in 2010. No data was recorded for Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities during these years.

20002010Change
White96.34%95.61%-0.76%
Hispanic1.83%2%9.29%
Two or More Races0.52%1.02%96.15%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.89%0.78%-12.36%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%