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

Shaner, 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 Shaner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shaner in America

Shaner is the 6612th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shaner surname appeared 5,121 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Shaner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shaner 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 Shaner

The surname Shaner has its origins in Germany, where it emerged during the Middle Ages, likely sometime between the 12th and 15th centuries. The name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "schön," meaning "beautiful" or "fair," suggesting that it may have originally been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a handsome or attractive appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Shaner can be found in the records of the city of Cologne, dating back to the 14th century. The name appears as "Schoner," which was a common spelling variation at the time. This particular entry refers to a merchant named Johannes Schoner, who was involved in the city's thriving trade industry.

In the 16th century, the Shaner surname can be traced to various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. During this period, the name underwent further variations in spelling, such as "Schaner" and "Schöner," reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic differences across German-speaking areas.

One notable individual bearing the Shaner surname was Johann Schöner, a renowned mathematician, cartographer, and astronomer born in Karlstadt, Bavaria, in 1477. He was instrumental in creating some of the earliest terrestrial and celestial globes, and his works significantly contributed to the advancement of cartography and astronomy during the Renaissance era.

Another prominent figure with the Shaner surname was Georg Schöner, a German composer and organist who lived from 1568 to 1635. He served as the court organist for the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg and is renowned for his contributions to the development of the early Baroque organ repertoire.

In the 18th century, the surname Shaner can be found in various records and documents from the Palatinate region of Germany. One notable example is Johann Michael Schaner, a vintner and landowner born in 1712 in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße, known for its thriving wine industry.

As German immigrants began to migrate to other parts of the world, such as North America and Australia, the Shaner surname spread to these regions. One early instance of the name in America is recorded in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century, where a family of German descent settled and established roots.

Throughout its history, the Shaner surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, from merchants and artisans to scholars and landowners. Despite its widespread distribution, the name has maintained its Germanic roots and continues to be a recognizable part of the cultural heritage of German-speaking communities around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shaner

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

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 Shaner 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 Shaner 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 Shaner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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