Schnell first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Schnell has been for the last 8 years (from 1976 to 1983) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Schnell

Of German origin, meaning "swift" or "quick".

Popularity of Schnell by gender

Based on the last 8 years of data, Schnell is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 1983, there were 5 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Schnell.

Year Male Count Female Count
1983 0 5
1982 0 5
1979 0 5
1976 0 5

The history of the first name Schnell

The given name Schnell has its origins in the German language, where it is an adjective meaning "fast" or "quick." The name is believed to have emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century, when surnames derived from descriptive words or nicknames were becoming increasingly common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schnell can be found in the historical records of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, where a merchant named Hans Schnell was documented in the late 15th century. It is likely that this individual or one of his ancestors acquired the surname Schnell as a descriptor, perhaps due to their swift movements or expeditious business dealings.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Schnell appeared in the annals of the Protestant Reformation. Veit Schnell, born around 1490 in Nuremberg, was a German theologian and a follower of Martin Luther. He played a role in the spread of Lutheran teachings in his hometown and surrounding regions.

Another prominent individual named Schnell was Johann Gottfried Schnell, a German writer and philosopher who lived from 1753 to 1823. He was a proponent of the Enlightenment and wrote extensively on topics such as aesthetics, ethics, and education.

In the 19th century, a German immigrant named Johann Schnell made his mark in the United States. Born in 1823, he emigrated to Texas in the 1840s and became a successful businessman and landowner, establishing the town of Schnellville, which still bears his name today.

The name Schnell also found its way into the realm of science and exploration. Carl Schnell, born in 1887 in Germany, was a renowned botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research in South America, particularly in the Amazon region of Brazil.

While the name Schnell may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has evolved over centuries to become a respected given name in its own right, transcending its literal meaning and carrying a rich history and cultural significance.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Schnell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Schnell, please contact us.

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"Schnell first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 14, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/schnell-meaning-and-history/.

"Schnell first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/schnell-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 14 May, 2025

Schnell first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/schnell-meaning-and-history/.

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