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

Schaffner, 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 Schaffner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schaffner in America

Schaffner is the 8415th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schaffner surname appeared 3,927 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Schaffner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schaffner 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 Schaffner

The surname Schaffner has its origins in the German language, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "Schaffer," which originally referred to a steward or overseer of a household or estate. This occupation-based surname would have been given to individuals who held such positions.

The Schaffner surname can be traced back to various regions within modern-day Germany, with concentrations found in areas like Bavaria, Saxony, and Swabia. It is believed that the name first emerged in the 12th or 13th century, as the practice of adopting hereditary surnames became more widespread among the Germanic populations.

Historical records from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period occasionally mention individuals bearing the Schaffner name. One notable example is Johannes Schaffner, a German astronomer and mathematician who lived in the 15th century (c. 1435-1508). Another early mention of the surname can be found in the Nürnberger Hausbücher, a collection of records from the city of Nuremberg, which includes references to Schaffner families in the 16th century.

As the Schaffner surname spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Schaffner, Schaffner, and Schäffner. These variations often reflected local dialects and linguistic influences. Additionally, the surname became associated with certain place names, such as Schaffnerhof or Schaffnerdorf, which likely indicated the presence of Schaffner families in those locations.

Among notable individuals who bore the Schaffner surname, one can mention Johann Michael Schaffner (1707-1764), a German composer and organist active in the Baroque period. Another prominent figure was Johann Friedrich Schaffner (1825-1903), a German-American architect who designed numerous buildings in Chicago, including the Chicago Board of Trade Building.

Other individuals of note include Karl Schaffner (1851-1907), a German-American architect and engineer responsible for designing several bridges and buildings in New York City, and Emilie Schaffner (1845-1929), a Swiss painter and illustrator known for her portraiture and landscapes.

The Schaffner surname has a rich history that can be traced back to the Middle Ages in German-speaking regions, where it originated as an occupational name. Over the centuries, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, architects, and tradespeople, contributing to the cultural tapestry of Germany and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schaffner

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

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 Schaffner 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 Schaffner 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 Schaffner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!