Explore the Family Name Schenkel

The meaning of Schenkel

German, Dutch, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a butcher or a nickname for someone with long or otherwise notable legs, from Middle High German schenkel, Middle Dutch schenkel, schinkel ‘thigh, lower leg’, German Schenkel ‘thigh’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Schenkel in the United States?

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Schenkel has seen a rise in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 18,712 and by 2010 it had climbed to 18,028 – a growth of 3.66%. The count of individuals carrying the Schenkel surname also increased from 1,356 in 2000 to 1,548 in 2010, marking a significant increase of 14.16%. As per the census data, the proportion of the Schenkel surname per 100,000 people saw a modest rise from 0.5 in 2000 to 0.52 in 2010, which is a 4% increase.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#18,712	#18,028	3.66%
Count	1,356	1,548	14.16%
Proportion per 100k	0.5	0.52	4%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Schenkel

The Decennial U.S. Census data reveals interesting changes in the ethnic identity associated with the Schenkel surname. While the White population with this surname decreased slightly from 97.64% in 2000 to 95.48% in 2010, the Hispanic population grew by 53.39% during the same period. There was a notable increase in individuals identifying with two or more races, growing from 0.66% in 2000 to 1.49% in 2010. Additionally, 2010 saw the introduction of Asian/Pacific Islander into the mix at 0.71%, while the percentages for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained at zero for both census years.

	2000	2010	Change
White	97.64%	95.48%	-2.21%
Hispanic	1.18%	1.81%	53.39%
Two or More Races	0.66%	1.49%	125.76%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0.71%	0%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%