2000
#58,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 323
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Schnaufer
A German surname derived from the word "schnaufen" meaning to snort or snore.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 342 Americans carry the last name Schnaufer. That puts it at #70,715 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,002,206 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnaufer 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
342
1 in 1,002,206
Census rank
#70,715
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
298
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 298 bearers of the surname Schnaufer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70715th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnaufer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schnaufer
The surname Schnaufer is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the late 15th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. The name is believed to be derived from the German word "schnaufen," which means "to pant" or "to snort." This connection suggests that the surname may have initially referred to a person's physical characteristic or occupation involving heavy breathing or snorting sounds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Schnaufer name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Schnaufer was mentioned as a resident in 1487. Another early reference comes from the church records of Bamberg, which list the baptism of a child named Anna Schnaufer in 1512.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Schnaufer name appeared in various legal documents and property records across southern Germany. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Schnaufer (1545-1612), a prominent merchant in Augsburg, and Katharina Schnaufer (1583-1647), a respected midwife in the town of Regensburg.
As the centuries progressed, the Schnaufer surname continued to spread across German-speaking regions, with some variations in spelling, such as Schnaufer, Schnauffer, and Schnaufer. One of the most renowned individuals with this surname was Wilhelm Schnaufer (1802-1871), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian National Assembly.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, several Schnaufer families emigrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and the Americas, carrying their surname with them. Among the notable figures from this era was Johannes Schnaufer (1856-1932), a German-American inventor and entrepreneur who patented several innovations in the field of machinery.
Another individual of note was Erich Schnaufer (1921-1942), a German Luftwaffe pilot during World War II, who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his exceptional flying skills and bravery in combat. Tragically, he lost his life at the young age of 21 during a reconnaissance mission over the Mediterranean Sea.
While the Schnaufer surname may not be among the most common in the present day, its rich history and unique etymology continue to capture the interest of researchers and genealogists alike, shedding light on the diverse cultural tapestry of German-speaking regions and the stories of those who carried this distinctive name through the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnaufer
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnaufer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnaufer 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 Schnaufer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 263
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 26
- Two or more races2.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnaufer
Schnaufer 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
#62,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 323
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,353 places
2020
#70,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 298
-25 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 8,670 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #58,692 | 323 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #62,045 | 323 | 0.11 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,353 places |
| 2020 | #70,715 | 298 | 0.10 | -25 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 8,670 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 Schnaufer 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 | #62,045 | #70,715 | -14.0% |
| Count | 323 | 298 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.10 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnaufer bearers went from 323 to 298 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 8,670 positions in the national ranking, going from #62,045 to #70,715.
FAQ
Schnaufer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnaufer?
Name Census estimates that about 342 living Americans carry the surname Schnaufer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,002,206 residents.
How common is Schnaufer?
Schnaufer ranks #70,715 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 298 people with the surname Schnaufer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (342), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Schnaufer.
Has Schnaufer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnaufer went from 323 recorded bearers to 298. That is a decrease of 25 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #62,045 to #70,715.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnaufer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnaufer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Schnaufer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (263 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnaufer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Hispanic (8.7%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Schnaufer (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 Schnaufer mean?
A German surname derived from the word "schnaufen" meaning to snort or snore. 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 Schnaufer (0.10 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 Schnaufer?
Want to know how many people are called Schnaufer? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.