2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schnering
A surname of German origin meaning someone from a place called Schnering or derived from an occupation involving shearing or cutting.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Schnering. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnering 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Schnering in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnering, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schnering
The surname Schnering is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was first documented in the 13th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schnering can be found in the Reichsmatrikel of 1495, a registry of the Holy Roman Empire. This document mentions a certain Hans Schnering from the town of Nürnberg, which was a prominent center of trade and craftsmanship during that era.
The name Schnering is thought to be derived from the Old German word "schneren," which means "to snore" or "to make a snoring sound." It is possible that the name was initially a descriptive nickname given to an individual who had a distinctive snoring habit.
In the 16th century, the Schnering family appears to have spread across various parts of Germany, with records showing members residing in cities such as Leipzig, Hamburg, and Cologne. One notable figure from this period was Johann Schnering (1518-1590), a prominent Lutheran theologian and reformer who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Schnering name continued to be well-represented in various regions of Germany. Some notable individuals from this time include:
1. Friedrich Schnering (1638-1701), a respected jurist and legal scholar from Saxony.
2. Johanna Schnering (1675-1742), a renowned midwife and herbalist from the town of Erfurt.
3. Wilhelm Schnering (1712-1778), a successful merchant and banker from Hamburg.
As the 19th century dawned, the Schnering family had established a presence in various German-speaking regions, including Austria and Switzerland. One prominent figure from this era was Karl Schnering (1808-1883), a renowned architect and urban planner who designed several iconic landmarks in Vienna.
Another notable individual with the Schnering surname was Theodor Schnering (1861-1936), a pioneering chemist and professor at the University of Munich. His contributions to the field of inorganic chemistry were widely recognized during his lifetime.
Throughout its long history, the surname Schnering has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, professionals, artists, and tradespeople. While its origins may have been humble, the name has endured and spread across various regions, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of Germany and its neighboring countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnering
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnering, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnering 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 Schnering surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnering
Schnering 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+29 bearers (+26.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 15,961 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-25 bearers (-18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,699 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +29 bearers (+26.4%) | Up 15,961 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-18.0%) | Down 22,699 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 Schnering 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 | #123,796 | #146,495 | -18.3% |
| Count | 139 | 114 | -18.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnering bearers went from 139 to 114 (-18.0% change). The surname moved down 22,699 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #146,495.
FAQ
Schnering surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnering?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Schnering. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Schnering?
Schnering ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Schnering. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Schnering.
Has Schnering become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnering went from 139 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 25 (-18.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnering?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnering, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Schnering in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnering appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (4.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Schnering (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 Schnering mean?
A surname of German origin meaning someone from a place called Schnering or derived from an occupation involving shearing or cutting. 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 Schnering (0.04 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 many people are called Schnering?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Schnering on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.