2000
#9,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,186
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Schirmer
An occupational surname for a protective shield maker or fitter of armor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,280 Americans carry the last name Schirmer. That puts it at #10,670 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,498 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schirmer 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
3.3K
1 in 104,498
Census rank
#10,670
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,860 bearers of the surname Schirmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10670th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schirmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 Another early reference is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, where a "Conradus Schirmer" is mentioned in 1398.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schirmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Schirmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schirmer 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 Schirmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 2,575
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 110
- Two or more races3.6% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 57
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schirmer
Schirmer appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,428
+242 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 109 places
2020
#10,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,860
-568 bearers (-16.6%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 1,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,379 | 3,186 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,488 | 3,428 | 1.16 | +242 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 109 places |
| 2020 | #10,670 | 2,860 | 0.96 | -568 bearers (-16.6%) | Down 1,182 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 Schirmer 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 | #9,488 | #10,670 | -12.5% |
| Count | 3,428 | 2,860 | -16.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 0.96 | -17.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schirmer bearers went from 3,428 to 2,860 (-16.6% change). The surname moved down 1,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,488 to #10,670.
FAQ
Schirmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schirmer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,280 living Americans carry the surname Schirmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,498 residents.
How common is Schirmer?
Schirmer ranks #10,670 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,860 people with the surname Schirmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,280), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Schirmer.
Has Schirmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schirmer went from 3,428 recorded bearers to 2,860. That is a decrease of 568 (-16.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,488 to #10,670.
What does the Census say about the background of Schirmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schirmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Schirmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (2,575 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schirmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Schirmer (2000, 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 Schirmer mean?
An occupational surname for a protective shield maker or fitter of armor. 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 Schirmer (0.96 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 Schirmer?
If you just want to know how common the surname Schirmer is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.