Schirmer last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Schirmer

An occupational surname for a protective shield maker or fitter of armor.

Schirmer, 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 Schirmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schirmer in America

Schirmer is the 9488th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schirmer surname appeared 3,428 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 Schirmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schirmer 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 9488 9379 1.16%
Count 3,428 3,186 7.32%
Proportion per 100k 1.16 1.18 -1.71%

The history of the last name Schirmer

The surname SCHIRMER is of German origin, originating in the medieval period. It is derived from the Middle High German word "schirmen," meaning to protect or shield. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone whose occupation involved guarding or protecting others.

The SCHIRMER name is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was first recorded in the 13th and 14th centuries. Early variations of the spelling include "Schirmer," "Schirmare," and "Schirmere."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SCHIRMER name can be found in a document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1341, which mentions a certain "Hans Schirmer." Another early reference is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, where a "Conradus Schirmer" is mentioned in 1398.

In the 15th century, the SCHIRMER name appeared in several German towns and cities, including Augsburg, Cologne, and Leipzig. One notable individual from this period was Johann Schirmer (1460-1522), a merchant and civic leader in the city of Erfurt.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the SCHIRMER name continued to spread throughout German-speaking regions. Notable individuals from this time include Christoph Schirmer (1564-1632), a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Saxony, and Johann Christoph Schirmer (1623-1667), a composer and organist from Saxony-Anhalt.

In the 18th century, the SCHIRMER name gained prominence through several notable figures, such as Johann Wilhelm Schirmer (1707-1789), a German painter and engraver, and Johann Schirmer (1758-1826), a German writer and educator.

As the SCHIRMER name spread across Europe, it also found its way to other countries. In the 19th century, Gustav Schirmer (1829-1893) was a German-American music publisher who founded the influential G. Schirmer, Inc. publishing house in New York City.

Overall, the surname SCHIRMER has a long and rich history, with roots dating back to medieval Germany and a meaning tied to the occupation of protection and defense. Throughout the centuries, individuals with this name have made significant contributions in various fields, including religion, art, music, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schirmer

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

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 Schirmer was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.87% 3,252
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.20% 7
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.37% 47
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.23% 8
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.90% 31
Hispanic Origin 2.42% 83

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 Schirmer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.87% 96.20% -1.39%
Black 0.20% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.37% 0.85% 46.85%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.23% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.90% 1.16% -25.24%
Hispanic 2.42% 1.41% 52.74%

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

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

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"Schirmer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/schirmer-surname-popularity/.

"Schirmer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/schirmer-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Schirmer last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/schirmer-surname-popularity/.

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