Swisher
An American surname of uncertain origin, probably tied to a German or Dutch immigrant name rather than an English occupational word.
The #3,754 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 32,737 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Swisher is not securely explained in the older dictionaries, and the historical evidence is thin. It may be an Americanized form of a German or Dutch surname such as Swischer/Swicher-type forms, or it may reflect a nickname or altered spelling built on a similar-sounding European name. The available 19th-century reference here only shows the name in use, not its root meaning.
History
In the United States the name is documented by the mid-19th century, including educated and public figures such as a Brown University graduate and a Texas state auditor mentioned in contemporary lists. The surname is now established in America and appears most often there, suggesting an immigrant or Anglo-American reshaping of an older European family name. Because the older source excerpt does not give an etymology, the precise line of descent remains uncertain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century onomastic list grouped Swisher with a cluster of other surnames beginning with Sw-, showing that it was already recognized as a distinct family name by then.
From the historical record
“in Boston. Rev. Mr. Faunce resides at Worcester. Mr. Quatllebaum was a graduate of West Point in 1857; and Mr. Swisher became A.M. at Brown Uni- versity in the same year. The State Auditor of Texas is named Swisher. Virginia has its Judge Noggles. Mr. Quiggle was appointed consul at Antwerp, 1859. Quigley is a…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)