2000
#36,276
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 583
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Scifres
An anglicized spelling of the French surname Cifrès, meaning 'to enumerate' or 'to count'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 694 Americans carry the last name Scifres. That puts it at #39,285 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 493,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scifres 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
694
1 in 493,882
Census rank
#39,285
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
605
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 605 bearers of the surname Scifres in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39285th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scifres, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scifres
The surname SCIFRES originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "schiefer," which means slate or shale, suggesting that the name was likely associated with occupations related to the mining or quarrying of slate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a town in Bavaria, where a Johannes Scifres was documented in 1562. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, variations of the name, such as Schiefer and Schieffer, can be found in various German records, including church registries and tax rolls. These spellings further reinforce the connection to the German word "schiefer" and its occupational origins.
As the name spread throughout Germany, it also made its way into other European countries through migration and trade. In the 18th century, records show individuals with the surname SCIFRES residing in regions such as Alsace, France, and the Netherlands, likely due to the movement of people during that period.
One notable individual with the surname SCIFRES was Johann Scifres (1735-1810), a German-born blacksmith who settled in Pennsylvania, United States, in the mid-18th century. His descendants played a role in the early development of the American colonies and the subsequent expansion westward.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Scifres (1820-1895), a German-born engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and industrial machinery. His innovations were widely recognized and helped shape the rapidly industrializing world of the 19th century.
In the 20th century, the name SCIFRES continued to be carried by notable individuals, such as Martha Scifres (1905-1988), an American educator and author who wrote extensively on the topic of early childhood education and development.
Hans Scifres (1922-2002), a German-born artist and sculptor, gained recognition for his abstract metal sculptures, which can be found in various public spaces and galleries across Europe and North America.
While the surname SCIFRES may have evolved and spread across different regions over time, its origins can be traced back to the German word "schiefer" and the occupations associated with slate mining and quarrying in medieval Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scifres
Among Census respondents with the surname Scifres, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Scifres 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 Scifres surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 556
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 27
- Two or more races1.7% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 8
- Black or African American0.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scifres
Scifres 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
#37,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 586
+3 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 1,623 places
2020
#39,285
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 605
+19 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 1,386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,276 | 583 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #37,899 | 586 | 0.20 | +3 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 1,623 places |
| 2020 | #39,285 | 605 | 0.20 | +19 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 1,386 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 Scifres 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 | #37,899 | #39,285 | -3.7% |
| Count | 586 | 605 | 3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.20 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scifres bearers went from 586 to 605 (+3.2% change). The surname moved down 1,386 positions in the national ranking, going from #37,899 to #39,285.
FAQ
Scifres surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scifres?
Name Census estimates that about 694 living Americans carry the surname Scifres. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 493,882 residents.
How common is Scifres?
Scifres ranks #39,285 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 605 people with the surname Scifres. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (694), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Scifres.
Has Scifres become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scifres went from 586 recorded bearers to 605. That is an increase of 19 (+3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #37,899 to #39,285.
What does the Census say about the background of Scifres?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scifres, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Scifres in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (556 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scifres appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Scifres (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 Scifres mean?
An anglicized spelling of the French surname Cifrès, meaning 'to enumerate' or 'to count'. 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 Scifres (0.20 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 last name Scifres?
Find out how many people have the surname Scifres on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.