2000
#8,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,484
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Schoenfeld
A German toponymic surname indicating an origin in a beautiful field or meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,847 Americans carry the last name Schoenfeld. That puts it at #9,307 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,097 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schoenfeld 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
3.8K
1 in 89,097
Census rank
#9,307
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,355 bearers of the surname Schoenfeld in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9307th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoenfeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schoenfeld
The surname Schoenfeld is of German origin, with roots tracing back to the 14th century. It derives from the Middle High German words "schön" meaning "beautiful" and "feld" meaning "field" or "meadow." The name likely originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near a picturesque field or meadow.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name was spelled "Schönfeld" or "Schonfeld," with variations like "Schönfeldt" and "Schoenfeldt" emerging later. Some of the earliest known records of the name can be found in the tax rolls of various German principalities and city-states from the 1400s.
One notable early bearer of the name was Johann Schoenfeld, a German astronomer and mathematician born in 1619 who made significant contributions to the study of comets and planetary motion. His work was widely respected and influential during the scientific revolution of the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name Schoenfeld appears in various military records and chronicles, suggesting that individuals with this surname may have served in the armies of various German states during this period of frequent conflicts and territorial disputes.
The 19th century saw the spread of the Schoenfeld surname beyond Germany, as many individuals with this name emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas in search of new opportunities. One prominent figure from this era was Gustav Schoenfeld, a German-American landscape painter born in 1840, whose works captured the natural beauty of the American West.
Another notable bearer of the Schoenfeld name was Eduard Schoenfeld, a German astronomer born in 1828 who specialized in the study of variable stars and asteroids. His meticulous observations and cataloging efforts laid the groundwork for future advancements in these fields.
In the 20th century, the Schoenfeld surname continued to be represented across various disciplines. For example, Martin Schoenfeld was a German-American mathematician and computer scientist born in 1939, known for his contributions to the field of algorithm analysis and complexity theory.
Overall, the surname Schoenfeld has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with its earliest origins likely reflecting the picturesque landscapes of medieval Germany. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made their mark in various fields, from astronomy and mathematics to art and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schoenfeld
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoenfeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Schoenfeld 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 Schoenfeld surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 3,124
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 130
- Two or more races2.0% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schoenfeld
Schoenfeld 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
#9,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,408
-76 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 855 places
2020
#9,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,355
-53 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 232 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,684 | 3,484 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,539 | 3,408 | 1.16 | -76 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 855 places |
| 2020 | #9,307 | 3,355 | 1.12 | -53 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 232 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 Schoenfeld 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 | #9,539 | #9,307 | 2.4% |
| Count | 3,408 | 3,355 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.12 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schoenfeld bearers went from 3,408 to 3,355 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 232 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,539 to #9,307.
FAQ
Schoenfeld surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schoenfeld?
Name Census estimates that about 3,847 living Americans carry the surname Schoenfeld. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,097 residents.
How common is Schoenfeld?
Schoenfeld ranks #9,307 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,355 people with the surname Schoenfeld. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,847), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Schoenfeld.
Has Schoenfeld become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schoenfeld went from 3,408 recorded bearers to 3,355. That is a decrease of 53 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,539 to #9,307.
What does the Census say about the background of Schoenfeld?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoenfeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Schoenfeld in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (3,124 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schoenfeld appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (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 Schoenfeld (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 Schoenfeld mean?
A German toponymic surname indicating an origin in a beautiful field or meadow. 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 Schoenfeld (1.12 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 Schoenfeld?
You can see how many people have the last name Schoenfeld on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.