2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schornstein
A German surname referring to a chimney or flue.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Schornstein. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schornstein 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Schornstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schornstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schornstein
The surname Schornstein has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the late medieval period in Central Europe. It is derived from the German words "Schornstein," which translates to "chimney" or "smokestack." This surname likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a prominent chimney or smokestack, or for someone who worked as a chimney sweep or in a related trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Schornstein can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. In this codex, a certain "Henricus Schornstein" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the year 1267.
During the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the Schornstein surname appeared in various records and manuscripts across German-speaking regions. For instance, in the city of Nuremberg, a family by the name of Schornstein is documented as having lived in the area since the 15th century. One notable member of this family was Hans Schornstein (1472-1538), a respected goldsmith and metalworker who crafted intricate pieces for the wealthy patrons of his time.
In the 17th century, the Schornstein surname was also found in the records of the Duchy of Württemberg, a historical state in southwestern Germany. One example is Johann Georg Schornstein (1615-1689), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Tübingen, who gained recognition for his scholarly works on biblical exegesis.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Schornstain, Schornstain, and Schornsteen. These variations often reflected regional dialects and linguistic differences within the German language.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the Schornstein surname was Karl Friedrich Schornstein (1765-1837), a German musician and composer who lived during the Classical period. He was known for his contributions to the development of wind instrument techniques and compositions for wind ensembles.
Throughout history, the Schornstein surname has also been found in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and the spread of German-speaking communities. Examples include Joachim Schornstein (1892-1965), a Norwegian painter and artist who gained recognition for his landscapes and portraits, and Émile Schornstein (1875-1942), a French architect and urban planner who contributed to the design of several notable buildings in Paris.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schornstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Schornstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schornstein 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 Schornstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schornstein
Schornstein 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,351 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,387 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 2,351 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4,387 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 Schornstein 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 | #142,108 | #146,495 | -3.1% |
| Count | 117 | 114 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schornstein bearers went from 117 to 114 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4,387 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #146,495.
FAQ
Schornstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schornstein?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Schornstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Schornstein?
Schornstein ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Schornstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Schornstein.
Has Schornstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schornstein went from 117 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Schornstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schornstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Schornstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schornstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (4.4%), Black (0.9%). 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 Schornstein (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 Schornstein mean?
A German surname referring to a chimney or flue. 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 Schornstein (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 many people have the surname Schornstein?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.