2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bocksnick
A German surname derived from the words "Bock" meaning buck or billy goat and "Schnick" meaning small ornament or trim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Bocksnick. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bocksnick surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Bocksnick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bocksnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bocksnick
The surname BOCKSNICK has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German words "bock" meaning "buck" or "male deer," and "schnick," which could refer to a short, sharp sound or a quick movement. This suggests the name may have originally referred to a person who was associated with hunting or had a certain physical characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BOCKSNICK can be found in the town records of Heidelberg, where a certain Hans Bocksnick was listed as a resident in the year 1567. Another early reference comes from the church records of Augsburg, which mention a Johannes Bocksnick who was born in 1593.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various documents from the region of Bavaria, particularly around the town of Neustadt an der Waldnaab. A notable figure from this era was Johann Bocksnick, a woodcarver and craftsman who lived from 1628 to 1691 and is known for his intricate works adorning local churches and monasteries.
As the centuries progressed, the BOCKSNICK surname spread across Germany and into neighboring regions. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the Alsace region of France, where they adopted the French spelling "Bocksnik." One notable individual from this line was Pierre Bocksnik, a renowned vintner who lived from 1748 to 1824 and helped establish the region's reputation for fine wines.
Moving into the 19th century, the name appears in various records from across Germany and beyond. Karl Bocksnick (1812-1887) was a German philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Jena and wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics. Another notable figure was Wilhelm Bocksnick (1863-1944), a German-American engineer who played a crucial role in the development of early automotive technologies.
Throughout its long history, the BOCKSNICK surname has been associated with various occupations and areas of expertise, from craftsmen and artisans to academics and engineers. While its origins may be rooted in the hunting traditions of medieval Germany, the name has taken on a diverse range of meanings and associations over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bocksnick
Among Census respondents with the surname Bocksnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bocksnick bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bocksnick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bocksnick
Bocksnick appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+19 bearers (+16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 7,272 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-17 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,746 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+16.4%) | Up 7,272 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 16,746 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bocksnick surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #126,765 | #143,511 | -13.2% |
| Count | 135 | 118 | -12.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bocksnick bearers went from 135 to 118 (-12.6% change). The surname moved down 16,746 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #143,511.
FAQ
Bocksnick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bocksnick?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Bocksnick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Bocksnick?
Bocksnick ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Bocksnick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bocksnick.
Has Bocksnick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bocksnick went from 135 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 17 (-12.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Bocksnick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bocksnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bocksnick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bocksnick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (5.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bocksnick (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bocksnick mean?
A German surname derived from the words "Bock" meaning buck or billy goat and "Schnick" meaning small ornament or trim. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bocksnick (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Bocksnick?
Want to know how many people are called Bocksnick? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.