Explore the Family Name Switzer
The meaning of Switzer
1. English: variant of Sweetser, in a spelling reflecting a false association with the English word Switzer ‘Swiss man’. The earliest record of Switzer as an English word denoting a Swiss person is from 1577. It is unlikely that this word independently gave rise to an English surname, but it was evidently used to render the German name Schweitzer, borne by some of the ‘poor Palatines’, Protestant refugees from southwestern Germany, who landed in London in 1709. From there they were shipped to the New World (especially New York) and to Ireland, where they were mostly settled in County Limerick. 2. Anglicized or Americanized form of German Schweitzer ‘Swiss man’ or Swiss German Schwyzer, a habitational name for someone from the city or canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. It is also found in Ireland (see 1 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Switzer in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Switzer experienced a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 2,953rd in terms of commonality among all surnames, but slipped to 3,248th place by 2010, reflecting a 9.99% drop. Similarly, the count of individuals with this surname also marginally decreased during this period, from 11,211 in 2000 to 11,114 in 2010, marking a modest 0.87% reduction. The proportion per 100,000 people likewise fell from 4.16 to 3.77, a decline of 9.37%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,953 | #3,248 | -9.99% |
| Count | 11,211 | 11,114 | -0.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.16 | 3.77 | -9.37% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Switzer
In terms of ethnicity, analysis of the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts in the ethnic identity of individuals bearing the Switzer surname over the same decade. Those identifying as White remained the majority, although their proportion decreased slightly from 93.19% in 2000 to 90.96% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic showed the largest growth, rising from 1.61% to 2.63%, an increase of 63.35%. Other ethnic groups also saw notable increases, with the American Indian and Alaskan Native category expanding by 95.45%, Asian/Pacific Islander by 21.82%, and those identifying as Black by 10.27%. Lastly, there was a significant jump in the number of individuals reporting two or more races, up from 1.11% in 2000 to 1.66% in 2010, which signifies a 49.55% rise.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.19% | 90.96% | -2.39% |
| Black | 3.31% | 3.65% | 10.27% |
| Hispanic | 1.61% | 2.63% | 63.35% |
| Two or More Races | 1.11% | 1.66% | 49.55% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.67% | 21.82% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.22% | 0.43% | 95.45% |
Switzer ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Switzer is British & Irish, which comprises 44.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (31.5%) and Scandinavian (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 44.8% |
| French & German | 31.5% |
| Scandinavian | 4.7% |
| Other | 19.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Switzer
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Switzer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 83.60% |
What Switzer haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Switzer is I-Z58, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z58 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-CTS6433 and I-CTS616, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Stephenson, Waite, Powers, Goetz, Sage, Stevenson, Jarvis, Norman, Metz, Field.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Switzer surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Alexander Hamilton
Early in the morning on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr (then Vice President of the United States) and Alexander Hamilton (founder of the U.S. Treasury) dueled on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. This marked the culmination of a bitter personal and political rivalry between the two men. Alexander Hamilton died as a result of the duel, but his intellectual legacy survives in the founding documents of the nation he helped build. A piece of his genetic legacy survives as well: in the 21st century, genealogists documented the paternal haplogroups of dozens of Hamilton's living descendants and concluded that the Founding Father's paternal haplogroup was a branch of I-DF29.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Switzer have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Switzer" Surname 49.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Switzer" Surname 24.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Switzer" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Switzer" Surname 15.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Switzer?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Switzer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition