2000
#15,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,779
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Schoening
A German surname derived from the word "schön" meaning beautiful or lovely.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,064 Americans carry the last name Schoening. That puts it at #15,624 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,063 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schoening 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 166,063
Census rank
#15,624
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,800 bearers of the surname Schoening in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15624th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoening, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schoening
The surname Schoening is of German origin, derived from the Old German word "schön," meaning "beautiful" or "fair." It is believed to have originated in the regions of northern Germany during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schoening can be found in the town of Schöningen, located in the district of Helmstedt in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town's name, which dates back to the 13th century, is thought to be the source of the surname.
In the 15th century, records show a Johannes Schonynge listed as a resident of the city of Lübeck, located in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. This is one of the earliest documented uses of the surname in its modern spelling.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Schoening name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. One notable example is Hans Schoening, a merchant and alderman in the city of Hamburg, who lived from 1535 to 1610.
Another prominent figure bearing the Schoening surname was Johann Schoening, a German composer and organist who lived from 1640 to 1688. He was known for his contributions to the development of the Lutheran church music tradition.
In the 18th century, the Schoening family had several members who achieved recognition in various fields. Christian Schoening (1714-1790) was a German theologian and author, while Johann Friedrich Schoening (1744-1810) was a renowned historian and archaeologist.
As the Schoening family spread throughout Germany and beyond, the surname took on various spellings, such as Schöning, Schöningh, and Schöninger. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and naming conventions.
One notable figure from the 19th century was Friedrich Schoening (1816-1892), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities.
Throughout its history, the Schoening surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, artists, and professionals, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Germany and the broader Germanic regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schoening
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoening, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Schoening 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 Schoening surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 1,669
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 55
- Two or more races2.2% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 18
- Black or African American0.6% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schoening
Schoening 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
#15,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,827
+48 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 713 places
2020
#15,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,800
-27 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,194 | 1,779 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,907 | 1,827 | 0.62 | +48 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 713 places |
| 2020 | #15,624 | 1,800 | 0.60 | -27 bearers (-1.5%) | Up 283 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 Schoening 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 | #15,907 | #15,624 | 1.8% |
| Count | 1,827 | 1,800 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.60 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schoening bearers went from 1,827 to 1,800 (-1.5% change). The surname moved up 283 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,907 to #15,624.
FAQ
Schoening surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schoening?
Name Census estimates that about 2,064 living Americans carry the surname Schoening. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,063 residents.
How common is Schoening?
Schoening ranks #15,624 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,800 people with the surname Schoening. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,064), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Schoening.
Has Schoening become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schoening went from 1,827 recorded bearers to 1,800. That is a decrease of 27 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,907 to #15,624.
What does the Census say about the background of Schoening?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoening, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Schoening in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,669 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schoening appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Schoening (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 Schoening mean?
A German surname derived from the word "schön" meaning beautiful or lovely. 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 Schoening (0.60 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 share the surname Schoening?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.