The Switzer surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,114 people carried this name — #3,248 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 26,500 people counted. That is down 1% from 11,211 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Switzer surname

From early New High German Schwytzer (modern High German Schweizer) "a Swiss person", especially "a Swiss soldier or mercenary", a designation adopted in the 16th century, ultimately from the toponym Swīz "Schwyz".

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Switzer» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 7 births for the Switzer name in 1890.

Most were registered in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 4
Munster 3

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Switzer in American newspapers,
1896–1921.

Newspaper page from Northern Wisconsin Advertiser carrying the name Switzer
Northern Wisconsin Advertiser 1921-12-23
Newspaper page from Northern Wisconsin Advertiser carrying the name Switzer
Northern Wisconsin Advertiser 1918-07-05
Newspaper page from The Madisonian carrying the name Switzer
The Madisonian 1896-11-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 98,109 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Switzer in Australian newspapers,
1850s–2000s.

1,702 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Switzer. The most, 304, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 707
Queensland 659
Victoria 221
Western Australia 38
South Australia 33
Tasmania 21
ACT (Canberra) 10
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Switzer.

Who carried it

People named Switzer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Robert M. Switzer
    Robert M. Switzer 1863–1952 · lawyer
  • Frank Switzer
    Frank Switzer 1882–1970 · ice hockey player
  • Harold "Slim" Switzer
    Harold "Slim" Switzer 1925–1967 · actor
  • Harriet E. Switzer d. 1946
  • Jennie Bartlett Switzer 1855–1930 · writer
  • Mary E. Switzer 1900–1971 · civil servant

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Switzer,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,144 records

1,144 records of the Switzer name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 401
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 254
  • Other U.S. records 489
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John E. Switzer

    Born 1912 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Rochester; athlete from Monroe County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1961, buried at Calvary Cemetery, Ontario, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Jerrold Allen Switzer

    Born 1946; from Paris, Illinois. U.S. Marine Corps, assaultman; died in an accident 1968 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Louise Switzer

    Arrived at New York in 1895 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 27; servant. From London, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,144 records for Switzer in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands388 records

388 records of the Switzer name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 186
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 173
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 29
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jan Switzer

    Married in 1841 in Purmerend; merchant. Died 1888 in Purmerend, aged 72.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hendrik Hermanus Switzer

    Married in 1919 in Apeldoorn; wheelwright. Died 1968 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 77.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Catharina Margaretha Switzer

    Born 1907 in Rotterdam. Died 1945 in Rotterdam, aged 38.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 388 records for Switzer in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Australia91 records

91 records of the Switzer name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 36
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 31
  • Other Australian records 24
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Switzer

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Augusta Jessie, sailing from Portsmouth in 1834. Native of Winchester, Hampshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Switzer

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Thames, aged 24; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Harry Wallace Switzer

    Retired of Bayswater, Victoria; died 1994.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 91 records for Switzer in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada75 records

75 records of the Switzer name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 23
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 23
  • Other Canadian records 29
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Wilfred Switzer

    Buried in 1971 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 70.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Lawrence William Switzer

    Died 1945 in Amherst, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Robert Harcourt Switzer

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 75 records for Switzer in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Switzer name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Tobias Switzer

    Died 1991, aged 83; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Doris Agnes Switzer

    Died 1989, aged 77; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Samuel Switzer

    Died 1947, aged 87; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Switzer in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Switzer name in the United Kingdom
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Charles L. Switzer

    Died 1918. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Switzer

    Driver, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Henry Switzer

    Died 1915. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France3 records

3 records of the Switzer name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Madeleine Switzer

    Born 1910 in Germany; died 2001 in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Gilbert Gerard Switzer

    Born 1938 in Strasbourg; died 1998 in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Switzer in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Switzer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Switzer is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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