2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Simnick
Of Slavic origin, referring to a person with curly or unruly hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Simnick. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Simnick surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Simnick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Simnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Simnick
The surname Simnick is believed to have originated in the region of East Prussia, which is now part of modern-day Poland and Russia. It likely emerged during the 13th or 14th century, when surnames were becoming more common in Europe. The name is thought to be derived from the Prussian word "simne," which means "seed" or "grain," possibly indicating that the earliest bearers of this surname were farmers or worked in agriculture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Simnick can be found in the Prussian Ducal Archives, which date back to the 15th century. These archives contain records of land transactions and other official documents, suggesting that the Simnick family may have held some prominence or owned property in the region during that time.
In the 16th century, a man named Hans Simnick was documented as a member of the Prussian Landtag, which was the regional parliament. This indicates that the Simnick family had gained a certain level of social status and influence by that point.
During the 17th century, the surname Simnick appears in various church records and census documents from the East Prussian towns of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia) and Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland). This suggests that the name was well-established in these areas by that time.
One notable individual with the surname Simnick was Johann Simnick, a Prussian philosopher and theologian who lived from 1673 to 1744. He was known for his writings on moral philosophy and his contributions to the development of Prussian education.
Another significant figure was Karl Simnick (1822-1892), a Prussian military officer who served in the Franco-Prussian War and was awarded the Iron Cross for his bravery in battle.
In the 19th century, the name Simnick began to spread beyond East Prussia, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in other parts of Germany, as well as in neighboring countries like Poland and Lithuania.
One example is Emilie Simnick (1840-1912), a German author and poet who was born in the town of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland). She published several volumes of poetry and was known for her contributions to the literary culture of the region.
Overall, the surname Simnick has a rich history rooted in the agricultural traditions of East Prussia, and it has been carried by individuals of various professions and social standings over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Simnick
Among Census respondents with the surname Simnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Simnick bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Simnick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Simnick
Simnick appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,325 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 6,325 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,353 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Simnick surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #144,141 | #142,788 | 0.9% |
| Count | 115 | 119 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Simnick bearers went from 115 to 119 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,353 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #142,788.
FAQ
Simnick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Simnick?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Simnick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Simnick?
Simnick ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Simnick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Simnick.
Has Simnick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Simnick went from 115 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Simnick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Simnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Simnick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Simnick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Hispanic (1.7%), Two or More Races (0.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Simnick (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Simnick mean?
Of Slavic origin, referring to a person with curly or unruly hair. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Simnick (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Simnick?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.