Find out how popular the last name Schaef is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Schaef.

Schaef, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Schaef surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schaef in America

Schaef is the 109758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schaef surname appeared 161 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Schaef.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schaef to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Schaef

The surname SCHAEF originates from Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to derive from the German word "Schaf," meaning "sheep," and may have been an occupational surname for a shepherd or someone who worked with sheep.

SCHAEF is also thought to have roots in various German place names, such as Schaffhausen, which means "house of sheep." This suggests that the name could have been adopted by people who lived in or near areas associated with sheep farming or related activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SCHAEF surname is found in the Heidelberg Census of 1396, which mentions a "Johannes Schaf" living in the city at that time. This document provides evidence of the name's existence in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the SCHAEF surname appears in various records, including the Württemberg church books from 1558, which list a "Hans Schaf" as a resident of the town of Neckarsulm.

Notable individuals with the SCHAEF surname throughout history include:

1. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), the 34th President of the United States, whose paternal ancestors were of German descent and had the surname SCHAEF, which was later anglicized to Eisenhower.

2. Johann Daniel Schaef (1759-1823), a German theologian and author known for his work on the history of the Protestant Reformation.

3. Friedrich Schäfer (1711-1772), a German architect and builder who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the 18th century.

4. Johann Gottfried Schaef (1725-1790), a German composer and organist who worked in Dresden and produced numerous works for the church and the court.

5. Wilhelm Schäfer (1868-1952), a German artist and painter known for his landscape paintings and works depicting rural life in Germany.

While the SCHAEF surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Schaefer, Shafer, and Sheffer, its roots can be traced back to the German language and the historical associations with sheep farming and related occupations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schaef

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Schaef.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Schaef was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Schaef has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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