2000
#15,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,808
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Schnur
A German and Jewish occupational surname referring to a rope-maker or cord-maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,126 Americans carry the last name Schnur. That puts it at #15,238 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,220 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnur 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
2.1K
1 in 161,220
Census rank
#15,238
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,854 bearers of the surname Schnur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15238th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnur, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schnur
The surname Schnur is of German origin, originating in the 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "snuor," which means "cord" or "string." The name likely referred to someone who worked with ropes or cords, such as a rope maker or a merchant dealing in these products.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Schnur can be found in various Germanic regions, including present-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Hans Schnur, a merchant from Nuremberg, who was mentioned in a trade document dated 1386.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in several historical records, such as the Arnsburger Urkundenbuch, a collection of documents from the German town of Arnsburg. This book contains references to individuals with the surname Schnur, including Peter Schnur, who was listed as a landowner in 1412.
During the 16th century, the Schnur family spread across various parts of Germany, with some members settling in cities like Hamburg and Berlin. One notable individual from this period was Johann Schnur, a Lutheran theologian and writer born in Dresden in 1542. He authored several religious texts and served as a pastor in various German cities.
In the 17th century, the name Schnur can be found in records from the Thirty Years' War, where soldiers and mercenaries with this surname were documented. One such individual was Hans Schnur, a mercenary from Saxony, who fought in the Battle of Lützen in 1632.
Over the centuries, the Schnur surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including:
1. Christoph Schnur (1598-1661), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg.
2. Johann Schnur (1719-1786), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.
3. Karl Schnur (1825-1904), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag.
4. Theodor Schnur (1856-1932), a German architect and urban planner responsible for designing several buildings in Berlin.
5. Otto Schnur (1895-1971), a German actor and film director active during the early 20th century.
While the name has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnur
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnur, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnur 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 Schnur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 1,710
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 73
- Two or more races2.4% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnur
Schnur 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
#15,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,937
+129 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 205 places
2020
#15,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,854
-83 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,005 | 1,808 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,210 | 1,937 | 0.66 | +129 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 205 places |
| 2020 | #15,238 | 1,854 | 0.62 | -83 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 28 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 Schnur 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 | #15,210 | #15,238 | -0.2% |
| Count | 1,937 | 1,854 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.62 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnur bearers went from 1,937 to 1,854 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,210 to #15,238.
FAQ
Schnur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnur?
Name Census estimates that about 2,126 living Americans carry the surname Schnur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,220 residents.
How common is Schnur?
Schnur ranks #15,238 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,854 people with the surname Schnur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Schnur.
Has Schnur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnur went from 1,937 recorded bearers to 1,854. That is a decrease of 83 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,210 to #15,238.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnur, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Schnur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (1,710 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Schnur (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 Schnur mean?
A German and Jewish occupational surname referring to a rope-maker or cord-maker. 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 Schnur (0.62 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 Schnur?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Schnur on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.