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

Scherkenbach, 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 Scherkenbach surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Scherkenbach in America

Scherkenbach is the 115034th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Scherkenbach surname appeared 152 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 Scherkenbach.

We can also compare 2010 data for Scherkenbach 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 Scherkenbach

The surname Scherkenbach is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from a combination of the German word "scherke," meaning "scar" or "scratch," and the word "bach," which means "stream" or "brook." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a specific geographic location, possibly near a stream or river where the land had been scarred or scratched in some way.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Scherkenbach surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 15th century. This document references a certain "Johannes Scherkenbach" from the town of Meissen, indicating that the name was already in use by that time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Scherkenbach family seemed to have been particularly prominent in the region of Franconia, located in modern-day Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Several historical records from this period mention individuals bearing the Scherkenbach name, such as Hans Scherkenbach (1532-1601), a prominent merchant and landowner from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

In the 18th century, a notable figure with the Scherkenbach surname was Johann Michael Scherkenbach (1705-1779), a renowned composer and organist from the city of Nuremberg. His compositions, particularly those for organ and harpsichord, were highly regarded during his lifetime and continue to be studied and performed by musicians today.

Another individual of note was Karl Friedrich Scherkenbach (1782-1849), a German jurist and legal scholar who played a significant role in the development of civil law in Germany during the early 19th century. His influential works on contract law and property rights were widely respected and cited by legal professionals of his time.

In more recent history, one of the most famous individuals with the Scherkenbach surname was Walther Scherkenbach (1889-1945), a German military officer who served in both World War I and World War II. He rose to the rank of General der Infanterie (Lieutenant General) in the Wehrmacht and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his service during the Second World War.

While the Scherkenbach name has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, the earliest and most significant historical records of this surname can be traced back to its German roots, particularly in the regions of Saxony, Franconia, and Bavaria.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Scherkenbach

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

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

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

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