Sweitzer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Sweitzer 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 Sweitzer indicates that the original bearer immigrated to Austria from Switzerland.

Early Origins of the Sweitzer family

The surname Sweitzer 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 Sweitzer family

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

Sweitzer Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Sweitzer include Schweitzer, Schweizer, Schwitzer, Schwyzer, Switzer, Sweitzer, Schwitter and many more.

Early Notables of the Sweitzer family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Sweitzer were Johann Friedrich Schweitzer (1625-1709), Dutch physician and alchemical writer of German extraction; Johann Jacob Casimir von Schweitzer, who was...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sweitzer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sweitzer Ranking

In the United States, the name Sweitzer is the 7,870^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Sweitzer migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Sweitzer were

Sweitzer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Sweitzer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
Ludwick Sweitzer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 2
Henry Sweitzer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 2
Simon Sweitzer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 2
Solenia Sweitzer, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 2

Sweitzer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Catharina Sweitzer, aged 27, who arrived in New York, NY in 1849 2
Maria Sweitzer, aged 32, who arrived in New York, NY in 1849 2
Laurent Sweitzer, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1854 2
Capt. Sweitzer, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 2
George Sweitzer, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1866 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Sweitzer (post 1700) +

Robert M. Sweitzer, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932
J. Bowman Sweitzer, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, 1850-53
George T. Sweitzer Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Missouri State House of Representatives from Cass County, 1964
Donald Sweitzer, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for Rhode Island, 2000
Louis Morgan Sweitzer (1891-1953), American fruit cultivator, eponym of Sweitzer Lake State Park, Colorado
Sandi Sue Sweitzer (b. 1946), American Olympic figure skater
Jacob Bowman Sweitzer (1821-1881), American lawyer from Pennsylvania lawyer and soldier who commanded a regiment in the American Civil War
Klaus Sweitzer (b. 1962), German professional footballer

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)