2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schnebelt
A locational surname likely originating from a town or place called Schnebelt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Schnebelt. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnebelt 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Schnebelt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnebelt, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schnebelt
The surname Schnebelt is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to have derived from an Old German word "schnebel," which translates to "beak" or "snout," suggesting that it may have been a descriptive surname initially assigned to someone with a prominent nose or facial features resembling a bird's beak.
One of the earliest known references to the Schnebelt surname can be found in the church records of the town of Großhabersdorf, located in the German state of Bavaria. These records, dating back to the late 1500s, mention a family by the name of Schnebelt residing in the area. The name's spelling variations during this period included Schnebelt, Schnebel, and Schnebelin.
Another notable early occurrence of the Schnebelt surname is in the baptismal records of the town of Wetzlar, located in the German state of Hesse. These records, dating back to the early 17th century, document the baptism of a child named Johann Schnebelt in 1612. This entry provides evidence of the name's presence in the region during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Schnebelt surname was Hans Schnebelt, born in 1587 in the village of Oberselters, located in the German state of Hesse. Hans was a farmer and landowner, and records indicate that he played an active role in the local community.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the Schnebelt surname was Matthias Schnebelt, born in 1632 in the town of Kirchhain, located in the German state of Hesse. Matthias was a respected blacksmith and metalworker, and his skills were highly sought after throughout the region.
In the 18th century, the Schnebelt surname gained prominence in the German city of Frankfurt, where a family of merchants and traders bearing this name established themselves as prominent members of the local business community. One of the most successful members of this family was Johann Jakob Schnebelt, born in 1721, who amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures and became a respected figure in the city's economic circles.
As the Schnebelt surname spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, it also evolved to include variations such as Schnebel, Schnebelin, and Schnebelchen. These variations often reflected regional dialects or linguistic differences, but they all stemmed from the same etymological roots.
While the Schnebelt surname has its origins in Germany, it has since been carried to various parts of the world through emigration and migration. However, the name's earliest documented instances and historical references remain firmly rooted in the German regions of Bavaria, Hesse, and the surrounding areas, where it first emerged as a descriptive surname centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnebelt
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnebelt, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnebelt 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 Schnebelt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnebelt
Schnebelt appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 4,195 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 Schnebelt 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 | #149,395 | #153,590 | -2.8% |
| Count | 110 | 104 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnebelt bearers went from 110 to 104 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 4,195 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #153,590.
FAQ
Schnebelt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnebelt?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Schnebelt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Schnebelt?
Schnebelt ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Schnebelt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Schnebelt.
Has Schnebelt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnebelt went from 110 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnebelt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnebelt, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Schnebelt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnebelt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Hispanic (1.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Schnebelt (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 Schnebelt mean?
A locational surname likely originating from a town or place called Schnebelt. 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 Schnebelt (0.03 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 Schnebelt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.