NameCensus.

UK surname

Switzer

A Swiss person or someone from Switzerland, derived from the Middle High German word "Switzer" meaning "Swiss".

In the 1881 census there were 107 people recorded with the Switzer surname, ranking it #18,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 247, ranked #16,955, up from #18,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Overton and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Colchester, Salford and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Switzer is 253 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 130.8%.

1881 census count

107

Ranked #18,982

Modern count

247

2016, ranked #16,955

Peak year

1999

253 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Switzer had 107 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 247 in 2016, ranked #16,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 174 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Switzer surname distribution map

The map shows where the Switzer surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Switzer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Switzer over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 86 #18,820
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 107 #18,982
1891 historical 126 #20,604
1901 historical 146 #18,335
1911 historical 174 #16,311
1997 modern 237 #15,809
1998 modern 248 #15,772
1999 modern 253 #15,667
2000 modern 249 #15,787
2001 modern 238 #16,004
2002 modern 244 #16,085
2003 modern 228 #16,663
2004 modern 213 #17,492
2005 modern 207 #17,731
2006 modern 209 #17,784
2007 modern 212 #17,803
2008 modern 216 #17,758
2009 modern 227 #17,544
2010 modern 236 #17,427
2011 modern 242 #17,001
2012 modern 239 #17,027
2013 modern 250 #16,778
2014 modern 245 #17,140
2015 modern 244 #17,090
2016 modern 247 #16,955

Geography

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Where Switzers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Overton, Manchester and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Colchester, Salford, Aylesbury Vale, Preston and Pembrokeshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Overton Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Colchester 016 Colchester
2 Salford 028 Salford
3 Aylesbury Vale 021 Aylesbury Vale
4 Preston 009 Preston
5 Pembrokeshire 011 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Switzer

These lists show first names that appear often with the Switzer surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Switzer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Switzer, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Switzer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Switzer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Switzer is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Switzer is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Switzer falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Switzer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Switzer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Switzer

The surname Switzer originated in Switzerland during the late Middle Ages. It derives from the French word "Suisse", meaning "Swiss", and was likely initially used as a descriptive name for someone who hailed from Switzerland or the surrounding Swiss regions.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Switzer, a merchant from Zurich who was recorded in historical documents dating back to the early 15th century. The name also appears in various medieval records from other Swiss cantons, such as Bern and Lucerne.

As people began migrating from Switzerland to other parts of Europe and beyond, the surname Switzer traveled with them. In England, the name can be traced back to the late 16th century, when Swiss mercenaries and artisans began settling in various cities and towns.

One notable early bearer of the name in England was John Switzer, a renowned landscape gardener and writer who lived from 1637 to 1718. His work, "Ichnographia Rustica", published in 1718, was an influential treatise on garden design and horticulture.

Another prominent figure was Samuel Switzer, a poet and dramatist born in 1675. He is best known for his play "The Faithful Husband", which was performed at the Theatre Royal in London in 1704.

In the United States, the Switzer name can be traced back to the 18th century, when Swiss immigrants began arriving in significant numbers. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Switzer, who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1730s.

During the 19th century, the surname Switzer was well-represented among Swiss immigrants who settled in various parts of the country. Notable bearers of the name include Jacob Switzer, a pioneer farmer in Ohio who was born in 1792, and John Switzer, a prominent lawyer and politician in Missouri, born in 1823.

Throughout its history, the surname Switzer has been associated with various spellings and variations, such as Schweitzer, Schwitzer, and Switzler, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the regions where it was found.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Switzer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Switzer surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Hampshire leads with 33 Switzers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.14x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 33 15.14x
Middlesex 30 2.82x
Lancashire 17 1.35x
Surrey 9 1.74x
Flintshire 8 27.99x
Sussex 5 2.79x
Kincardineshire 2 15.44x
Royal Navy 2 15.79x
Anglesey 1 5.31x
Devon 1 0.45x
Kent 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Overton in Hampshire leads with 17 Switzers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3269.23x.

Place Total Index
Overton 17 3269.23x
Bethnal Green London 16 34.65x
Newport 9 762.71x
Hawarden 8 357.14x
Ardwick 7 61.51x
Gorton 6 50.59x
Bermondsey 5 15.80x
East Dean 5 3846.15x
Manchester 4 7.05x
Portsea 4 9.37x
Spitalfields London 3 37.50x
Towerof London London 3 882.35x
Westminster St John 3 23.17x
Banchory Devenick 2 165.29x
Royal Navy 2 18.47x
St George Bloomsbury 2 32.79x
Bromley London 1 4.28x
Clapham 1 7.52x
Croydon 1 3.48x
Devonport 1 39.37x
Eltham 1 46.95x
Holyhead 1 28.49x
Lambeth 1 1.08x
Millbrook 1 18.21x
Southampton St Mary 1 7.30x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 4.68x
St Bartholomew Hyde 1 192.31x
St George Hanover 1 7.20x
Stoke Newington London 1 12.08x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Switzer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Sarah 7
Lucy 5
Mary 5
Annie 3
Anne 2
Elizabeth 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Louisa 2
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanney 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Switzer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 9
George 7
James 7
William 5
Charles 4
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Alfred 2
Ernest 2
Philip 2
Amos 1
Austin 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Frederick 1
Godfrey 1
Harry 1
Infant 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Switzer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Switzer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 107 people were recorded with the Switzer surname. That placed it at #18,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Switzer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 247 in 2016. That gives Switzer a modern rank of #16,955.

What does the Switzer surname mean?

A Swiss person or someone from Switzerland, derived from the Middle High German word "Switzer" meaning "Swiss".

What does the Switzer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Switzer bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.