2000
#28,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 777
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Rare Last name
Schumer
An Ashkenazic Jewish surname derived from the German term for a skinner or furrier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,220 Americans carry the last name Schumer. That puts it at #24,492 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 280,946 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schumer 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
1.2K
1 in 280,946
Census rank
#24,492
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,064 bearers of the surname Schumer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24492nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schumer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schumer
The surname Schumer is of German origin, derived from the Old German word "schuome," meaning "foam" or "froth." It is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages, possibly as an occupational name for a soap maker or a brewer.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony in Germany. One of the earliest known bearers was Hans Schumer, a merchant from Nuremberg, who was mentioned in records from the year 1374.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various manuscripts and records across German-speaking regions. For instance, a certain Johannes Schumer was a prominent theologian and author from Strasbourg, who lived between 1492 and 1558.
As the name spread across Europe, it also took on different spellings and variations, such as Schuemer, Schumer, and Schümer. Some of these variants were influenced by local dialects and linguistic traditions.
One notable figure with this surname was Carl Schumer, a German-American artist and illustrator born in 1859 in Saxony. He immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and became known for his illustrations in various publications, including Harper's Magazine.
Another individual of note was Otto Schumer, a German chemist and inventor who lived from 1858 to 1928. He is credited with developing several important industrial processes, including the production of synthetic camphor.
In the 20th century, the name gained prominence in the United States with the rise of politicians and public figures, such as Charles E. Schumer, a Democratic Senator from New York born in 1950, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 1999.
Other notable individuals with the surname Schumer include Robert Schumer, an American businessman and philanthropist born in 1938, and Amy Schumer, an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer born in 1981.
While the name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, where it continues to be a prominent surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schumer
Among Census respondents with the surname Schumer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Schumer 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 Schumer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 985
- Two or more races4.6% · 49
- Black or African American1.0% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schumer
Schumer 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
#25,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 986
+209 bearers (+26.9%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 3,672 places
2020
#24,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,064
+78 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Up 660 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,824 | 777 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,152 | 986 | 0.33 | +209 bearers (+26.9%) | Up 3,672 places |
| 2020 | #24,492 | 1,064 | 0.36 | +78 bearers (+7.9%) | Up 660 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 Schumer 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 | #25,152 | #24,492 | 2.6% |
| Count | 986 | 1,064 | 7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.36 | 7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schumer bearers went from 986 to 1,064 (+7.9% change). The surname moved up 660 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,152 to #24,492.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Schumer
FAQ
Schumer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schumer?
Name Census estimates that about 1,220 living Americans carry the surname Schumer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 280,946 residents.
How common is Schumer?
Schumer ranks #24,492 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 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 1,064 people with the surname Schumer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,220), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 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 Schumer.
Has Schumer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schumer went from 986 recorded bearers to 1,064. That is an increase of 78 (+7.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #25,152 to #24,492.
What does the Census say about the background of Schumer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schumer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (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 Schumer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (985 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schumer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Black (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 Schumer (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 Schumer mean?
An Ashkenazic Jewish surname derived from the German term for a skinner or furrier. 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 Schumer (0.36 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 Schumer?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Schumer is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.