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

Sheffer, 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 Sheffer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sheffer in America

Sheffer is the 8870th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sheffer surname appeared 3,692 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sheffer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sheffer 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 Sheffer

The surname SHEFFER originates from Germany, where it first appeared as an occupational name in the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "scheffel," meaning a unit of dry measure, and is an occupational name for a corn measurer or dealer.

In medieval Germany, corn was a valuable commodity, and those involved in its measurement and trade held important roles. The earliest known bearers of the name were likely engaged in this occupation, which lent their family the distinctive surname.

The SHEFFER name can be found in various historical records from German-speaking regions, such as church registers, tax rolls, and municipal documents. One notable early reference is in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a world history published in 1493, which mentions a certain Johann SHEFFER among the citizens of that city.

The earliest recorded example of the SHEFFER surname dates back to 1289, when a Heinricus Scheffler was mentioned in the records of the city of Cologne. Other early spellings include Scheffler, Scheffelaer, and Scheffeler, reflecting regional variations in dialect and orthography.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the SHEFFER surname. One of the earliest was Hans SHEFFER (c. 1480-1541), a German painter and woodcarver active in Nuremberg during the Renaissance. His intricate altarpieces and religious artwork can still be found in churches across Bavaria.

In the 17th century, Johann SHEFFER (1624-1677) was a renowned German astronomer and mathematician. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and planetary motion, and his works were widely read throughout Europe.

During the 19th century, the SHEFFER name gained prominence in the United States, where many German immigrants had settled. One notable American bearer was John SHEFFER (1834-1909), a Union Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and later became a successful businessman in Pennsylvania.

Another influential figure was Henry Moore SHEFFER (1883-1964), an American logician and mathematician. He is best known for introducing the SHEFFER stroke, a logical operation that bears his name, and for his work in the field of symbolic logic.

More recently, the SHEFFER surname has been carried by individuals such as Horst SHEFFER (1920-2005), a German-born American businessman and philanthropist, and Jodie SHEFFER (b. 1978), an American actress and producer known for her work in independent films.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sheffer

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sheffer, 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!