2000
#55,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 346
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Schnittker
An occupational surname derived from the German word "schnittker" referring to a harvester or reaper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 425 Americans carry the last name Schnittker. That puts it at #58,949 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 806,481 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schnittker 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
425
1 in 806,481
Census rank
#58,949
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
371
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 371 bearers of the surname Schnittker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 58949th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnittker, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schnittker
The surname Schnittker is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the late medieval period. The name is believed to have originated in the northern regions of modern-day Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. It is a occupational surname derived from the old German word "schnitter," which means "reaper" or "harvester."
In the early days, surnames were often derived from the occupations of individuals, and Schnittker likely referred to a person who worked as a reaper or harvester of crops. The suffix "-ker" is a common ending in German surnames, indicating a connection to a particular trade or occupation.
While no specific references to the Schnittker name have been found in ancient manuscripts or records, such as the Domesday Book, some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries in various German church records and local archives.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Schnittker was Hans Schnittker, born around 1590 in the town of Lübeck, northern Germany. Another notable person with this surname was Johann Schnittker, a merchant and trader who lived in Hamburg during the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, the Schnittker family expanded their presence across northern Germany, with some members settling in the regions of Mecklenburg and Pomerania. During this time, variations of the name, such as Schnitter and Schnittger, also emerged.
A prominent figure from this era was Christian Schnittker (1722-1793), a respected pastor and theologian who served in the Lutheran church in the town of Rostock. Another notable individual was Friedrich Schnittker (1765-1838), a successful merchant and landowner from the city of Lübeck.
In the 19th century, as the Schnittker family continued to grow and disperse throughout Germany, some members of the family migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond, carrying their surname with them. For example, Wilhelm Schnittker (1845-1913) was a German-born architect who made significant contributions to the urban development of St. Petersburg, Russia.
While the surname Schnittker remains most prevalent in Germany, it can also be found in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant German immigration, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schnittker
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnittker, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schnittker 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 Schnittker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 350
- Two or more races2.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schnittker
Schnittker 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
#57,516
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 354
+8 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 2,035 places
2020
#58,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 371
+17 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 1,433 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,481 | 346 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,516 | 354 | 0.12 | +8 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 2,035 places |
| 2020 | #58,949 | 371 | 0.12 | +17 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 1,433 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 Schnittker 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 | #57,516 | #58,949 | -2.5% |
| Count | 354 | 371 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | 3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schnittker bearers went from 354 to 371 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 1,433 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,516 to #58,949.
FAQ
Schnittker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schnittker?
Name Census estimates that about 425 living Americans carry the surname Schnittker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 806,481 residents.
How common is Schnittker?
Schnittker ranks #58,949 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 371 people with the surname Schnittker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (425), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Schnittker.
Has Schnittker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schnittker went from 354 recorded bearers to 371. That is an increase of 17 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #57,516 to #58,949.
What does the Census say about the background of Schnittker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schnittker, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Schnittker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (350 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schnittker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Two or More Races (2.4%), Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Schnittker (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 Schnittker mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "schnittker" referring to a harvester or reaper. 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 Schnittker (0.12 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 have the last name Schnittker?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Schnittker on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.