2000
#91,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Schneweis
A surname with German roots signifying "pure as snow" or "snow-white".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 251 Americans carry the last name Schneweis. That puts it at #90,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,365,555 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schneweis 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
251
1 in 1,365,555
Census rank
#90,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
219
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 219 bearers of the surname Schneweis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 90519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schneweis, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Black (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schneweis
The surname Schneweis is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the regions of modern-day Germany, particularly in the areas surrounding the Rhine River valley.
The name Schneweis is derived from the German words "schnee" meaning "snow" and "weiß" meaning "white." This combination suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive surname, likely referring to someone with a fair complexion or someone who lived in a snowy region.
Early records of the name Schneweis can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as church registers and municipal records. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in a 1292 document from the city of Cologne, where a certain "Henricus Schneweis" is mentioned.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various forms, including "Schneweiss," "Schneweis," and "Schneweyss," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. During this time, the name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.
Notable individuals with the surname Schneweis throughout history include Johannes Schneweis (1502-1567), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Schneweis (1835-1909), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.
Other historical figures bearing the name Schneweis include Gertrude Schneweis (1618-1692), a German midwife and herbalist renowned for her medical knowledge, and Hans Schneweis (1790-1856), a German composer and organist who contributed to the development of church music in the 19th century.
In the 19th century, the name Schneweis was particularly concentrated in the regions of Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, and Bavaria, with some families also found in neighboring areas of Switzerland and Austria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schneweis
Among Census respondents with the surname Schneweis, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Black (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Schneweis 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 Schneweis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 208
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 7
- Black or African American1.4% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schneweis
Schneweis 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
#86,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 216
+30 bearers (+16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 5,487 places
2020
#90,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
+3 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 4,205 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #91,801 | 186 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,314 | 216 | 0.07 | +30 bearers (+16.1%) | Up 5,487 places |
| 2020 | #90,519 | 219 | 0.07 | +3 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 4,205 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 Schneweis 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 | #86,314 | #90,519 | -4.9% |
| Count | 216 | 219 | 1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schneweis bearers went from 216 to 219 (+1.4% change). The surname moved down 4,205 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,314 to #90,519.
FAQ
Schneweis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schneweis?
Name Census estimates that about 251 living Americans carry the surname Schneweis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,365,555 residents.
How common is Schneweis?
Schneweis ranks #90,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 219 people with the surname Schneweis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (251), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Schneweis.
Has Schneweis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schneweis went from 216 recorded bearers to 219. That is an increase of 3 (+1.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #86,314 to #90,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Schneweis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schneweis, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Black (1.4%). 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 Schneweis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (208 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schneweis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (3.2%), Black (1.4%). 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 Schneweis (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 Schneweis mean?
A surname with German roots signifying "pure as snow" or "snow-white". 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 Schneweis (0.07 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 Schneweis?
You can see how common the surname Schneweis is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.