Find out how popular the last name Schnell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Schnell.

Schnell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Schnell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schnell in America

Schnell is the 5208th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schnell surname appeared 6,708 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Schnell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schnell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Schnell

The surname "SCHNELL" is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "snel," which means "quick" or "fast." This name likely originated as a nickname or a descriptive surname in the 13th or 14th century, referring to someone who was known for their speed or agility.

The earliest recorded instances of the name "SCHNELL" can be traced back to various regions of Germany, particularly in the southern and central parts of the country. In medieval records, the name appears with various spellings, such as "Snelle," "Schneller," and "Schnellinger."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Schnell, a scribe who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in several documents from the city's archives, including a legal contract dated 1387.

During the 16th century, the name "SCHNELL" gained prominence in the city of Augsburg, where a family of merchants and bankers with this surname played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs. Notably, Hieronymus Schnell (1492-1567) was a wealthy merchant and member of the city council.

In the realm of art and literature, one notable figure was Johann Schnell (1582-1651), a German writer and dramatist from Nuremberg. He authored several plays and poems, some of which were performed at the court of the Elector of Brandenburg.

Another individual of note was Georg Schnell (1677-1753), a German theologian and philosopher from Württemberg. He served as a professor of philosophy at the University of Tübingen and authored several influential works on logic and metaphysics.

In the 19th century, Ludwig Schnell (1821-1897) was a German architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag and the Berlin Cathedral.

Throughout history, variations of the name "SCHNELL" have also appeared in other German-speaking regions, such as Austria and Switzerland, reflecting the widespread distribution of this surname across the German-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schnell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Schnell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Schnell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Schnell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Schnell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Schnell, please contact us.

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