2000
#41,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 492
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Schnackenberg
A German surname derived from a topographic name meaning someone from a settlement with a prominent bend or curve.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 609 Americans carry the last name Schnackenberg. That puts it at #43,758 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 562,815 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnackenberg 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
609
1 in 562,815
Census rank
#43,758
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
531
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 531 bearers of the surname Schnackenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 43758th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnackenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schnackenberg
The surname Schnackenberg has its origins in Germany, dating back to the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of the country, particularly in the areas of Lower Saxony and Westphalia. The name is derived from the Old German words "snack" and "berg," which together translate to "creek mountain" or "creek hill."
This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, referring to a person or family residing near a creek or stream on a hillside or elevated terrain. It's possible that the earliest bearers of this name lived in such a geographic location, which eventually became associated with their surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Schnackenberg name can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 14th century. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Schnackenberg was mentioned in the church records of the town of Lüneburg, located in modern-day Lower Saxony. He was born around 1520 and worked as a merchant and trader in the town's thriving salt industry.
Another historical figure bearing this surname was Johann Schnackenberg, who lived in the city of Münster in the late 16th century. He was a prominent scholar and theologian, known for his works on religious philosophy and his involvement in the Reformation movement.
During the 17th century, the Schnackenberg family appeared to have spread beyond the northern regions of Germany, with records indicating their presence in other parts of the country, such as Saxony and Bavaria. One notable individual from this era was Anna Maria Schnackenberg, born in 1642 in the town of Görlitz, who gained recognition as a skilled lace-maker and entrepreneur.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Friedrich Schnackenberg was born in 1724 in the city of Hamburg. He was a renowned architect and urban planner, responsible for designing several notable buildings and contributing to the city's urban development during that period.
As the centuries passed, the Schnackenberg name continued to be found across various regions of Germany, with individuals from this family line leaving their mark in various fields, including academia, arts, and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnackenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnackenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnackenberg 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 Schnackenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 479
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 19
- Two or more races3.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnackenberg
Schnackenberg 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
#42,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 511
+19 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 798 places
2020
#43,758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 531
+20 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 1,303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #41,657 | 492 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,455 | 511 | 0.17 | +19 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 798 places |
| 2020 | #43,758 | 531 | 0.18 | +20 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 1,303 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 Schnackenberg 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 | #42,455 | #43,758 | -3.1% |
| Count | 511 | 531 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.18 | 4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnackenberg bearers went from 511 to 531 (+3.9% change). The surname moved down 1,303 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,455 to #43,758.
FAQ
Schnackenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnackenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 609 living Americans carry the surname Schnackenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 562,815 residents.
How common is Schnackenberg?
Schnackenberg ranks #43,758 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 531 people with the surname Schnackenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (609), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Schnackenberg.
Has Schnackenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnackenberg went from 511 recorded bearers to 531. That is an increase of 20 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #42,455 to #43,758.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnackenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnackenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) 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 Schnackenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (479 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnackenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (3.6%), 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 Schnackenberg (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 Schnackenberg mean?
A German surname derived from a topographic name meaning someone from a settlement with a prominent bend or curve. 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 Schnackenberg (0.18 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 surname Schnackenberg?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.