2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schnetz
A surname of German origin meaning someone who cuts or trims.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Schnetz. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnetz 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Schnetz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnetz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schnetz
The surname Schnetz has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "Schnitz," which means "a cut" or "a carving." This suggests that the name was likely borne by someone who worked as a carver or woodcutter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schnetz can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the year 1290. The entry mentions a man named "Henricus Schnetz" from the town of Meissen.
In the 15th century, there are records of a family with the name Schnetz residing in the city of Nuremberg, which was a major center of craftsmanship and trade during the Renaissance period. This lends further credence to the name's association with woodcarving or related artisanal trades.
Notable individuals who bore the surname Schnetz include Johann Schnetz (1535-1612), a renowned German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony. Another notable figure was Hans Schnetz (1670-1735), a master woodcarver from the town of Oberammergau, known for his intricate religious sculptures and altarpieces.
In the 18th century, the name Schnetz appeared in various historical documents from the regions of Bavaria and Franconia. One such record mentions a certain Georg Schnetz (1712-1788), a respected clockmaker from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Another prominent individual was Friedrich Schnetz (1809-1878), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Tübingen. His works explored the intersection of religion and philosophy, and he was known for his controversial views on biblical interpretation.
Throughout its history, the surname Schnetz has maintained its Germanic roots, with variations in spelling such as Schnitz, Schnitzer, and Schnitze. While not a particularly widespread name, it has left its mark in various regions of Germany, particularly those associated with woodcarving, clockmaking, and other skilled trades.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnetz
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnetz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnetz 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 Schnetz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 11
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnetz
Schnetz 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
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+12 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,016 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 11,016 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 Schnetz 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 | #156,044 | #145,028 | 7.1% |
| Count | 104 | 116 | 11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnetz bearers went from 104 to 116 (+11.5% change). The surname moved up 11,016 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #145,028.
FAQ
Schnetz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnetz?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Schnetz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Schnetz?
Schnetz ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Schnetz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Schnetz.
Has Schnetz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnetz went from 104 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 12 (+11.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnetz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnetz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schnetz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnetz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Hispanic (9.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schnetz (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 Schnetz mean?
A surname of German origin meaning someone who cuts or trims. 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 Schnetz (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 Schnetz?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Schnetz, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.