Swartz
A surname from a word meaning “black” or “dark,” originally a nickname for someone with dark coloring or clothing.
The #1,393 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,134 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Swartz is a spelling variant of a Germanic surname built on the old word for “black,” seen in forms such as Dutch and Low German swart and German schwarz. In surname use, it was typically a nickname for someone with dark hair, a dark complexion, or dark dress. The spelling with -tz reflects older Germanic orthography and regional spelling habits rather than a different meaning.
History
The name appears in several Germanic-language surname families and is especially common in Dutch, Low German, and German contexts. English-language sources often list it alongside related forms such as Swart, Schwarz, and Swarts, reflecting migration and spelling variation over time. The surname is also familiar from the missionary Christian Friedrich Schwartz, whose name is sometimes Anglicized in older sources as Swartz.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries often grouped Swartz with other color-based surnames like Black, Whitehead, and Red, treating it as a straightforward nickname name.
From the historical record
“(brown) ; and from the color of the hair, White- head, Whitlock, Fairfax (fair-hair), Brunei, Eoth (red), Swartz (black), Fairchild, Black, Black- man, etc. Those which indicate the mental or moral qual- ities are such as Good, Goodman, Goodfellow, Giddy, Wise, Wiley, Meek, Merry, Moody, Bliss,”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names