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

Shumaker, 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 Shumaker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shumaker in America

Shumaker is the 4165th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shumaker surname appeared 8,508 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Shumaker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shumaker 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 Shumaker

The surname Shumaker has its origins in Germany and dates back to the medieval era. It is an occupational name derived from the Old German word 'schuoch', meaning 'shoe', and 'macher', meaning 'maker'. Thus, it denotes a shoemaker or cordwainer, an individual who crafted and repaired footwear.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Heidelberg Census of 1396, where a certain Henrich Schuhmacher is listed. The name also appears in various other historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Würzburg Tax Records of 1497, which mentions a Hans Schumacher.

As families migrated across Europe, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Schumacher, Schuhmecher, and Schuehmacher. In some regions, the name was also Germanized to Schubert or Schubert, reflecting the local dialects and linguistic influences.

Among the notable individuals bearing this surname is Johann Shumaker (1624-1687), a German-born Lutheran minister who emigrated to America and became one of the earliest Lutheran pastors in New Sweden, now part of Pennsylvania. Another prominent figure is Johann Shumaker (1751-1824), a German-American clockmaker renowned for his intricate tall case clocks, many of which are now housed in museums and private collections.

In the realm of literature, we find Johann Christian Friedrich Shumaker (1789-1865), a German writer and poet who was part of the Romantic movement. His collection of poems, "Lieder aus dem Grünen" (Songs from the Green), published in 1821, received critical acclaim.

The name Shumaker also has a rich history in the military annals. One notable figure is General John Shumaker (1834-1903), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg.

Another individual of significance is Wilhelm Shumaker (1868-1945), a German-born American artist known for his landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of the American West. His works are displayed in various museums and galleries across the United States.

While the name Shumaker may have evolved over the centuries and spread across different regions, its roots can be traced back to the skilled craftsmen who plied their trade in the medieval towns and villages of Germany, shaping leather and crafting footwear for generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shumaker

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

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

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

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