Explore the Family Name Schwanz

The meaning of Schwanz

German: nickname for a dandy, from Middle High German swanz ‘train of a dress’, literally ‘tail’, but also used to mean ‘decoration’ or ‘finery’. Some characteristic forenames: German Armin, Fritz, Kurt, Otto.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Schwanz saw a slight decline in rank from 30,352 in 2000 to 31,724 in 2010, signifying a decrease of 4.52%. Despite this, the count of individuals with this surname increased minutely by 0.14%, rising from 727 in 2000 to 728 in 2010. Also, the proportion of the surname per 100k people dropped by 7.41% over the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#30,352#31,724-4.52%
Count7277280.14%
Proportion per 100k0.270.25-7.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Schwanz

In terms of ethnicity, the Schwanz surname was predominantly found within the White ethnic identity, maintaining stability at 96.70% between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The figures reveal a significant increase in the Hispanic population carrying the surname, from 1.10% in 2000 to 1.79% in 2010, showing a growth of 62.73%. Individuals identifying with two or more races and bearing the surname decreased by 41.82%, from 1.65% to 0.96%. There were no recorded instances of the surname among Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native populations in both years.

20002010Change
White96.7%96.7%0%
Hispanic1.1%1.79%62.73%
Two or More Races1.65%0.96%-41.82%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%