2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schrimp
An Americanized spelling of the German surname "Schrimp" meaning "shriveled" or "thin."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Schrimp. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schrimp 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Schrimp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schrimp, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schrimp
The surname SCHRIMP originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, most likely in the area that is now modern-day Germany or Switzerland. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name SCHRIMP is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "schrimp," which referred to a small or shriveled person. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a slender or diminutive stature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SCHRIMP can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Baden, Germany. In this codex, dated around 1250, a person named "Heinricus Schrimp" is mentioned as a witness in a legal document.
Over the centuries, the spelling of the name has undergone some variations, with alternative forms such as "Schrimp," "Schrimpe," and "Schrimpt" appearing in various records and manuscripts throughout Germany and neighboring regions.
Notable historical figures with the surname SCHRIMP include Johann Schrimp (1575-1652), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another individual of note is Wilhelm Schrimp (1640-1703), a renowned German composer and organist who contributed to the development of Baroque music.
In the 16th century, a branch of the SCHRIMP family settled in the town of Schrimpmühle, located near the city of Cologne. This place name, which translates to "Schrimp's Mill," likely derived from the surname and suggests that the family may have owned or operated a mill in that area.
Other notable individuals with the surname SCHRIMP include Hans Schrimp (1820-1892), a German politician and member of the Reichstag (the parliament of the German Empire), and Elise Schrimp (1875-1947), a celebrated German painter and illustrator known for her vibrant landscapes and portraits.
Throughout its history, the surname SCHRIMP has maintained a strong presence in Germany, as well as in other German-speaking regions such as Switzerland and Austria. While not a particularly common name, it has persisted as a distinct and recognizable surname with deep roots in the cultural and linguistic heritage of Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schrimp
Among Census respondents with the surname Schrimp, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schrimp 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 Schrimp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schrimp
Schrimp 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+12 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,396 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-20 bearers (-15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,907 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 1,396 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.2%) | Down 18,907 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 Schrimp 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 | #129,047 | #147,954 | -14.7% |
| Count | 132 | 112 | -15.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schrimp bearers went from 132 to 112 (-15.2% change). The surname moved down 18,907 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #147,954.
FAQ
Schrimp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schrimp?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Schrimp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Schrimp?
Schrimp ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Schrimp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Schrimp.
Has Schrimp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schrimp went from 132 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Schrimp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schrimp, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) 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 Schrimp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schrimp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (7.1%), 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 Schrimp (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 Schrimp mean?
An Americanized spelling of the German surname "Schrimp" meaning "shriveled" or "thin." 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 Schrimp (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 Americans have the surname Schrimp?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.