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Schwab Family History

Schwab Surname Meaning

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name for someone from Swabia (German Schwaben) from Middle High German Swāp German Schwabe ‘Swabian’. The region takes its name from an ancient Germanic tribe recorded from the 1st century BC in the Latin form Suebi or Suevi of uncertain origin; it was an independent duchy from the 10th century until 1313 when the territory was broken up.

This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine), the Netherlands, and some other European countries (compare 2 below). Germanized form of Czech, Slovak, Rusyn (from Slovakia), Slovenian, and Croatian Šváb or Švab (see Svab).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Schwab family from?

You can see how Schwab families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Schwab family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Schwab families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 17 Schwab families living in London. This was about 37% of all the recorded Schwab's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Schwab families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Schwab surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Schwab ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cook and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Schwab. 50% of Schwab men worked as a Cook and 74% of Schwab women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Schwab were No Occupation and No Occupation.

View Census Data for Schwab | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Cook
    50%
  • No Occupation
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    9%
  • Private Means
    9%
  • No Occupation
    9%

What Schwab family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 67,000 census records available for the last name Schwab. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Schwab census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Schwab

Passenger Lists

There are 18,000 immigration records available for the last name Schwab. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Schwab immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Schwab. For the veterans among your Schwab ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Schwab military records

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