2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schnitger
An occupational surname referring to a woodcarver or sculptor from German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Schnitger. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnitger 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Schnitger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnitger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schnitger
The surname SCHNITGER has its origins in northern Germany, particularly in the region of Lower Saxony. It is believed to have emerged sometime in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Low German word "snit," which translates to "cut" or "slice." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation, such as a tailor, butcher, or someone who worked with cutting materials.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the SCHNITGER surname can be found in the archives of the city of Bremen, dating back to the 15th century. In a document from 1487, a certain Hinrich Schnitger is listed as a resident of the city. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during that time period in northern Germany.
The SCHNITGER name has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of this surname was Arp Schnitger (1648-1719), a renowned organ builder from the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. His organs were highly regarded for their exceptional craftsmanship and are still considered masterpieces of organ construction.
Another individual of note was Johann Friedrich Schnitger (1794-1855), a German jurist and politician who served as the Minister of Justice for the Kingdom of Hanover in the mid-19th century. He played a significant role in the legal reforms that took place during his tenure.
In the realm of art, the SCHNITGER name is associated with the German painter and printmaker Johann Georg Schnitger (1784-1833), who was known for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting scenes from the Harz Mountains.
The SCHNITGER surname can also be found in historical records from other parts of northern Europe, such as the Netherlands and Denmark. For instance, in the 17th century, there was a notable family of organ builders named Schnitger based in the city of Alkmaar, in the Dutch province of North Holland.
Throughout its history, the SCHNITGER name has undergone various spelling variations, including Schnittger, Schnitter, and Schnitter, among others. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and variations in the pronunciation of the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnitger
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnitger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnitger 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 Schnitger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnitger
Schnitger 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,393 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-15 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 2,393 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 12,121 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 Schnitger 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 | #143,149 | #155,270 | -8.5% |
| Count | 116 | 101 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnitger bearers went from 116 to 101 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 12,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #155,270.
FAQ
Schnitger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnitger?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Schnitger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Schnitger?
Schnitger ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Schnitger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Schnitger.
Has Schnitger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnitger went from 116 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnitger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnitger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Schnitger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnitger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (4.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Schnitger (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 Schnitger mean?
An occupational surname referring to a woodcarver or sculptor from German. 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 Schnitger (0.03 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 have the last name Schnitger?
Want to know how many people are called Schnitger? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.