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

Shofner, 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 Shofner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shofner in America

Shofner is the 15397th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shofner surname appeared 1,904 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 Shofner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shofner 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 Shofner

The surname Shofner is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Schoof," which means "sheaf" or "bundle of grain." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who worked in agriculture or grain harvesting.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shofner can be found in the records of the town of Augsburg, Germany, where a certain Johannes Shofner was mentioned in a document from 1547. It is possible that this individual was a farmer or worked in a related occupation, as the name's connection to grain harvesting would suggest.

As the name spread throughout Germany, various spelling variations emerged, such as Schofner, Schoffner, and Shoffner. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes who recorded the name in official documents.

In the 17th century, the Shofner name appears to have made its way to the Netherlands, with records indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It is possible that these individuals were descendants of German families who had migrated to the Netherlands for economic or religious reasons.

One notable figure in the history of the Shofner surname is Johann Shofner, a German artist born in 1687 in the city of Dresden. He was known for his intricate etchings and engravings, many of which depicted scenes from classical mythology and literature.

Another individual of note is Kaspar Shofner, a German soldier who served in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). Records indicate that he was awarded the Iron Cross for his bravery in battle.

In the 19th century, the Shofner name began to spread beyond Europe as families emigrated to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America is that of William Shofner, who was born in 1819 in Pennsylvania and later became a prominent businessman and landowner in the state.

Another notable figure is Elizabeth Shofner, born in 1845 in Ontario, Canada. She was a pioneer in the field of nursing and worked tirelessly to improve healthcare conditions in remote rural communities across the country.

Finally, a more recent historical figure is Hans Shofner, a German-American scientist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics in the mid-20th century. Born in 1907 in Berlin, he later immigrated to the United States and worked on several influential research projects during the height of the Cold War era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shofner

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

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

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

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