2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schiffmann
A German occupational surname derived from "Schiffer" meaning boatman or sailor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Schiffmann. 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 Schiffmann 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 Schiffmann 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 Schiffmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schiffmann
The surname Schiffmann originated in Germany, with records indicating its use as early as the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "Schiff," meaning "ship," and "Mann," meaning "man." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to a person whose occupation involved working on or with ships.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schiffmann can be found in the Stadtbücher (city books) of Lübeck, a city in northern Germany, dating back to the late 13th century. These records document individuals with variations of the name, such as Schiffman and Schiffmann, living and working in the area.
The name Schiffmann is also found in various other historical documents throughout Germany, including church records, tax rolls, and guild registers. For example, a Henrich Schiffmann is mentioned in a document from the city of Cologne in the year 1487.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Schiffmann (1490-1561) was a German goldsmith and engraver known for his intricate metalwork and engravings. His works can be found in several museums across Europe.
During the 17th century, a Johannes Schiffmann (1620-1689) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and author from the city of Strasbourg, now part of France. He wrote several influential theological treatises and served as a professor at the University of Strasbourg.
Another individual of note was Johann Schiffmann (1725-1795), a German composer and organist who lived and worked in the city of Leipzig. He composed numerous pieces for the organ and was highly regarded in his time.
In the 19th century, a Carl Schiffmann (1827-1892) was a German businessman and industrialist who founded a successful textile manufacturing company in the city of Krefeld. His company played a significant role in the region's textile industry.
Throughout its history, the surname Schiffmann has also been associated with various other professions, such as merchants, sailors, and shipbuilders, reflecting its maritime origins. While the name originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world due to emigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schiffmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Schiffmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schiffmann 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 Schiffmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schiffmann
Schiffmann appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,709 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,709 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 Schiffmann 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 | #145,220 | #143,511 | 1.2% |
| Count | 114 | 118 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schiffmann bearers went from 114 to 118 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,709 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #143,511.
FAQ
Schiffmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schiffmann?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Schiffmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Schiffmann?
Schiffmann 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 Schiffmann. 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 Schiffmann.
Has Schiffmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schiffmann went from 114 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Schiffmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schiffmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Schiffmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schiffmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Schiffmann (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 Schiffmann mean?
A German occupational surname derived from "Schiffer" meaning boatman or sailor. 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 Schiffmann (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 common is the surname Schiffmann?
You can see how many people are called Schiffmann on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.