2000
#4,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,647
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.46
Rare Last name
Schnell
A German surname meaning "quick" or "swift," likely referring to a fast runner or someone with a speedy gait.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,989 Americans carry the last name Schnell. That puts it at #5,504 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,042 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnell 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
7.0K
1 in 49,042
Census rank
#5,504
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,095 bearers of the surname Schnell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5504th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnell
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnell 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 Schnell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 5,680
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 184
- Two or more races2.5% · 153
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 41
- Black or African American0.4% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnell
Schnell 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
#5,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,708
+61 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 2.27
Rank movement Down 364 places
2020
#5,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,095
-613 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 2.04
Rank movement Down 296 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,844 | 6,647 | 2.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,208 | 6,708 | 2.27 | +61 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 364 places |
| 2020 | #5,504 | 6,095 | 2.04 | -613 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 296 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 Schnell 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 | #5,208 | #5,504 | -5.7% |
| Count | 6,708 | 6,095 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.27 | 2.04 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnell bearers went from 6,708 to 6,095 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 296 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,208 to #5,504.
FAQ
Schnell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnell?
Name Census estimates that about 6,989 living Americans carry the surname Schnell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,042 residents.
How common is Schnell?
Schnell ranks #5,504 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,095 people with the surname Schnell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,989), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Schnell.
Has Schnell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnell went from 6,708 recorded bearers to 6,095. That is a decrease of 613 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,208 to #5,504.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Schnell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (5,680 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Schnell (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 Schnell mean?
A German surname meaning "quick" or "swift," likely referring to a fast runner or someone with a speedy gait. 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 Schnell (2.04 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 common is the surname Schnell?
See how many Americans have the surname Schnell on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.