Schweizer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Schweizer is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. The surname Schweizer indicates that the original bearer immigrated to Austria from Switzerland.

Early Origins of the Schweizer family

The surname Schweizer was first found in Austria, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would shape the course of European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, particularly in the city of Frankfurt, and become noted for their involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Schweizer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schweizer research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1625, 1709, 1710, 1730, 1833 and 1875 are included under the topic Early Schweizer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schweizer Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Schweizer include Schweitzer, Schweizer, Schwitzer, Schwyzer, Switzer, Sweitzer, Schwitter and many more.

Early Notables of the Schweizer family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Schweizer were

Johann Jacob Casimir von Schweitzer, who was ennobled in 1710, and his descendant Lorenz Wilhelm von Schweitzer was lord of Mosen and Riensdorf. Jean Baptista von Schweizer (1833-1875) was a politicia...

Schweizer Ranking

In the United States, the name Schweizer is the 13,413^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Schweizer migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Schweizer or a variant listed above:

Schweizer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anna Schweizer, who arrived in Carolina in 1738 2
Anna Maria Schweizer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Jacob Schweizer, who landed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1764 2
Franz Schweizer, who arrived in America in 1782 2

Schweizer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Schweizer, who landed in North America in 1836 2
Johann G. Schweizer, who arrived in Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Element" 2
Wendel Schweizer, who arrived in Texas in 1846 2
Carl Schweizer, who settled in Texas in 1849
Barbara Oertle Schweizer, who arrived in America in 1854 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Schweizer (post 1700) +

Mark Schweizer (b. 1956), American musician, composer, writer, and music professor
Bernard Schweizer (b. 1962), American professor of English at Long Island University, Brooklyn
Peter Schweizer (b. 1964), American conservative author and research fellow at Stanford University
Paul H. Schweizer (b. 1939), American CEO and co-founder with his brothers William, and Ernest Schweizer, of the Schweizer Aircraft Corporation, an American manufacturer of sailplanes, agricultural aircraft and helicopters in 1939
John Schweizer, American politician, Village President of Carol Stream, Illinois, 1971-75 3
Otto Schweizer (1924-2022), German footballer who spent 14 years as a player with Bayern Munich (1939-1943) and (1943-1953)
Doris Schweizer (b. 1989), Swiss racing cyclist
Christian Schweizer (b. 1995), Guamanian international footballer
Richard Schweizer (1899-1965), Swiss two-time Academy Award winning screenwriter
Irène Schweizer (b. 1941), Swiss jazz and free improvising pianist
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Schweizer family +

Bismarck

Maximilian Schweizer (1921-1941), German Maschinengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 4

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details