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

Schimmel, 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 Schimmel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schimmel in America

Schimmel is the 10484th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schimmel surname appeared 3,064 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 Schimmel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schimmel 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 Schimmel

The surname Schimmel is of German origin, and it dates back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "schimmel," which means "a white or light gray horse." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for someone who worked with horses, such as a stable hand or a horse breeder.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schimmel can be found in the town of Schmallenberg, located in the Sauerland region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In the 14th century, there is a mention of a "Henricus dictus Schimmel" (Henry called Schimmel) in the town's records.

The name Schimmel also appears in various historical documents and manuscripts from different parts of Germany. For example, in the 15th century, a "Hans Schimmel" is listed as a citizen of the city of Nuremberg.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Schimmel was Johannes Schimmel, a German Protestant theologian and reformer, who lived from 1523 to 1590. He was a follower of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Saxony.

Another prominent individual with the surname Schimmel was Johann Christian Schimmel, a German composer and organist who lived from 1768 to 1830. He is known for his compositions for the organ and other keyboard instruments.

In the 19th century, a famous artist named Wilhelm Schimmel (1807-1870) was known for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in Germany.

The name Schimmel has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Schimmelhof (a farmstead or village) and Schimmelbach (a stream), which may have contributed to the spread and popularity of the surname in certain regions.

While the name Schimmel is predominantly of German origin, it has also been adopted by families in other countries, possibly through migration or intermarriage. However, the majority of people with this surname can trace their roots back to various regions of Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schimmel

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

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

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

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