2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Schirack
A topographic surname originating from a location name derived from Slavic roots meaning "meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Schirack. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schirack 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Schirack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schirack, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schirack
The surname Schirack has its origins in the German language and is believed to have emerged in the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "schier," meaning "bright" or "shining," and the word "acker," referring to a field or cultivated land. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone who lived or worked on a bright or sunny field or farmland.
The earliest known record of the name Schirack can be traced back to the historic region of Saxony in modern-day eastern Germany. In the late 16th century, there are mentions of individuals bearing this surname in various town and village records from this area.
One notable early reference to the Schirack name is found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Zwickau, located in the state of Saxony. These records, dating back to the early 17th century, document several Schirack families residing in the area.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Johann Christoph Schirack (1723-1773) gained recognition as a German physician and botanist. He was a member of the prestigious Prussian Academy of Sciences and made significant contributions to the study of medicinal plants.
Another notable individual with the Schirack surname was Friedrich Wilhelm von Schirach (1724-1804), a Prussian lieutenant general who served in the Seven Years' War under the command of Frederick the Great. He was awarded the prestigious Pour le Mérite order for his military service.
In the realm of literature, the name Schirack is associated with the German writer and dramatist Johann Friedrich Schirach (1750-1804), known for his works in the Sturm und Drang literary movement.
The village of Schirackau, located in the Saxony region, is believed to have derived its name from the Schirack surname, further highlighting the historical presence of this name in the area.
Throughout the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname have been documented, including Schirrack, Schirracke, and Schirrach, among others. However, the core elements of the name, reflecting its connection to the concepts of brightness and cultivated land, have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schirack
Among Census respondents with the surname Schirack, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schirack 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 Schirack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 93
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.8% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schirack
Schirack 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 4,245 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 Schirack 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 | #157,234 | #152,989 | 2.7% |
| Count | 103 | 105 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schirack bearers went from 103 to 105 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 4,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,989.
FAQ
Schirack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schirack?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Schirack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Schirack?
Schirack ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Schirack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Schirack.
Has Schirack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schirack went from 103 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Schirack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schirack, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Schirack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schirack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Schirack (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 Schirack mean?
A topographic surname originating from a location name derived from Slavic roots meaning "meadow". 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 Schirack (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 many Americans have the surname Schirack?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.