2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schnaare
A German surname derived from "Schnarre" meaning a spinning wheel or hum.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Schnaare. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnaare 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Schnaare in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnaare, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schnaare
The surname SCHNAARE is of German origin, and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The name is derived from the old German word "schnarre," which means "rattle" or "buzzing sound."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SCHNAARE can be found in the church records of the town of Rostock, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, dating back to 1598. Here, a man named Hans Schnaare is mentioned as a merchant and landowner. It is likely that the name was originally an occupational surname, referring to someone who made or worked with rattles or other noise-making instruments.
In the 17th century, the SCHNAARE name appears in various records from the city of Hamburg, which was a major trading hub at the time. One notable individual was Johann Schnaare, a wealthy merchant who lived from 1620 to 1689. He was known for his extensive trade networks throughout Europe and his philanthropic contributions to the city.
As the SCHNAARE family spread across Germany, variations in spelling became common. Some of the alternative spellings included Schnare, Schnaar, and Schnäre. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciation.
In the 19th century, the SCHNAARE name gained prominence in the field of academia. Carl Schnaare (1822-1897) was a renowned German philologist and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin languages. He authored several influential works and served as a professor at the University of Berlin.
Another notable figure was August Schnaare (1834-1912), a German-American architect who designed numerous buildings in the Midwest region of the United States. His most famous works include the Milwaukee City Hall and the Wisconsin State Capitol building.
One of the most well-known individuals with the surname SCHNAARE was Erich Schnaare (1901-1984), a German composer and music educator. He composed numerous works for orchestras, choirs, and chamber ensembles, and was highly respected in the field of music education.
While the SCHNAARE name may not be as widely recognized as some other German surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and various regions of Germany. The name's origins as an occupational surname and its connection to the world of craftsmanship and trade reflect the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried it throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnaare
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnaare, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnaare 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 Schnaare surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 9
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnaare
Schnaare 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,830 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-10 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,772 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,830 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 10,772 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 Schnaare 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 | #136,449 | #147,221 | -7.9% |
| Count | 123 | 113 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnaare bearers went from 123 to 113 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 10,772 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #147,221.
FAQ
Schnaare surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnaare?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Schnaare. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Schnaare?
Schnaare ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Schnaare. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Schnaare.
Has Schnaare become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnaare went from 123 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnaare?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnaare, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Schnaare in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnaare appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Hispanic (8.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Schnaare (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 Schnaare mean?
A German surname derived from "Schnarre" meaning a spinning wheel or hum. 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 Schnaare (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 people have the last name Schnaare?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Schnaare at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.