Find out how popular the last name Shaifer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shaifer.

Shaifer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shaifer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shaifer in America

Shaifer is the 118853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shaifer surname appeared 146 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shaifer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shaifer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shaifer

The surname Shaifer has its origins traced back to Germany, where it first emerged in the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Schäfer," meaning "shepherd" or "one who tends sheep." The name likely originated in rural areas where shepherding was a common occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Freiburg im Breisgau, a historic city in southwestern Germany. Here, a certain Johannes Shaifer was mentioned in a document dated 1482, indicating the presence of the name in the region during that time.

As the name spread across various regions of Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Schaefer, Schefer, and Shayfer. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the interpretations of scribes who recorded the name in official records.

In the 16th century, the Shaifer name appeared in the annals of the city of Nuremberg, where a prominent merchant named Hans Shaifer was recorded as participating in trade activities with other European cities. His success in business helped establish the name's association with commerce and trade.

During the 17th century, the Thirty Years' War, a conflict that ravaged much of Central Europe, led to the dispersal of many German families, including those bearing the Shaifer name. Some of these individuals sought refuge in neighboring countries, contributing to the spread of the surname across borders.

One notable figure from this period was Johann Christoph Shaifer (1620-1687), a Lutheran theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious matters. His works were widely circulated and helped bring recognition to the Shaifer name within academic circles.

As the centuries progressed, the Shaifer name found its way into various regions beyond Germany. In the late 18th century, a family bearing this surname settled in the Netherlands, where they established a successful textile business. One of their descendants, Willem Shaifer (1786-1854), became a respected merchant and philanthropist in the city of Amsterdam.

Another prominent individual was Karl Shaifer (1832-1901), a German-born engineer who immigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century. He made significant contributions to the development of railroad infrastructure in the American West, leaving a lasting impact on the country's transportation network.

In the realm of literature, the name Shaifer gained recognition through the works of the German poet and novelist, Friedrich Shaifer (1859-1927). His poetic works explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition, earning him critical acclaim during his lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shaifer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shaifer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shaifer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shaifer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shaifer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shaifer, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!