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Schwam Family History

Schwam Surname Meaning

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Schwamm ‘sponge’ or ‘mushroom’.

German: rare variant and an Americanized form of Schwamm.

It is a metonymic occupational name for a gatherer of edible fungi.

See Schwamb for further reference.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Schwam family from?

You can see how Schwam families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Schwam family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. The most Schwam families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 14 Schwam families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 48% of all the recorded Schwam's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Schwam families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Schwam 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 Schwam ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Operator and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Schwam. 20% of Schwam men worked as an Operator and 43% of Schwam women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Schwam were New Worker and Domestic.

View Census Data for Schwam | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Operator
    20%
  • Farmer
    20%
  • Salesman
    17%
  • New Worker
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    43%
  • Housekeeper
    29%
  • Domestic
    29%

What Schwam family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Schwam. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Schwam census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Schwam

Passenger Lists

There are 481 immigration records available for the last name Schwam. 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 Schwam immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 234 military records available for the last name Schwam. For the veterans among your Schwam ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Schwam military records

You've only scratched the surface of Schwam family history

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What is the average Schwam lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Schwam life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1998, and highest in 1969. The average life expectancy for Schwam in 1958 was 79, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Schwam

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Schwam ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Schwam family tree

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