2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schoenewald
A German surname meaning "beautiful forest" or "scenic woods".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Schoenewald. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schoenewald 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Schoenewald in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoenewald, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schoenewald
The surname Schoenewald is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is derived from the German words "schön," meaning beautiful, and "wald," meaning forest or woods, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a particularly scenic wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schoenewald can be found in the town records of Heilbronn, a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, dating back to the late 1600s. The name is also found in various church records and parish registers from the same region during that time period.
In the 18th century, the name Schoenewald appears in several historical documents from the Kingdom of Prussia, including military records and land deeds. This suggests that some members of the family may have been landowners or served in the Prussian army.
One notable individual with the surname Schoenewald was Johann Friedrich Schoenewald, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1683 to 1754. He is known for his work on Christian ethics and moral philosophy.
Another individual of note was Wilhelm Schoenewald, a German composer and organist who lived from 1837 to 1918. He composed several works for organ and choir and served as the organist at several prominent churches in Germany.
In the 19th century, the Schoenewald name can be found in various immigration records from Germany to the United States and other parts of the world. This suggests that members of the family may have sought opportunities in other countries during this time.
One such individual was Heinrich Schoenewald, a German immigrant to the United States who was born in 1825. He settled in the state of Wisconsin and worked as a farmer, contributing to the agricultural development of the region.
Another notable figure with the Schoenewald surname was Anna Schoenewald, a German-American author and educator who lived from 1868 to 1957. She wrote several books on the German language and culture, and also worked as a teacher in various schools in the United States.
Throughout its history, the surname Schoenewald has retained its roots in the German language and culture, reflecting the rich heritage and traditions of the regions where it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schoenewald
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoenewald, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Schoenewald 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 Schoenewald surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 102
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schoenewald
Schoenewald 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,881 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-13 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,849 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,881 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 11,849 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 Schoenewald 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 | #141,140 | #152,989 | -8.4% |
| Count | 118 | 105 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schoenewald bearers went from 118 to 105 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 11,849 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #152,989.
FAQ
Schoenewald surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schoenewald?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Schoenewald. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Schoenewald?
Schoenewald ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Schoenewald. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Schoenewald.
Has Schoenewald become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schoenewald went from 118 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Schoenewald?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoenewald, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Schoenewald in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schoenewald appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Black (1.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Schoenewald (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 Schoenewald mean?
A German surname meaning "beautiful forest" or "scenic woods". 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 Schoenewald (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 common is the surname Schoenewald?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Schoenewald, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.