Explore the Family Name Schimmel
The meaning of Schimmel
1. German and Dutch: nickname for a man with gray or white hair, from Middle High German, Middle Dutch schimel, a term used to denote both mildew and a white or dapple gray horse. Old High German forms are not found, and the semantic development is not entirely clear. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Schimmel ‘mildew’, imposed by a non-Jewish government official. 3. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a pet form of the personal name Shimon (see Simon). Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Beate, Egon, Erwin, Hermann, Horst, Otto, Wilhelm, Willi.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Schimmel in the United States?
The surname Schimmel, based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, showed slight changes in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Schimmel ranked 10,478 in terms of prevalence, but it fell slightly to a rank of 10,484 in 2010, reflecting a small downward shift of 0.06%. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased from 2,811 in 2000 to 3,064 in 2010; a growth of 9%. The proportion per 100,000 people remained steady at 1.04 during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,478 | #10,484 | -0.06% |
| Count | 2,811 | 3,064 | 9% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.04 | 1.04 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Schimmel
As for the ethnicity of those carrying the surname Schimmel, again referencing the Decennial U.S. Census, there were shifts across several ethnic identities between 2000 and 2010. The largest group consistently was those identifying as White, although their percentage decreased slightly from 97.62% to 95.04%. Those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 1.17% to 1.83%, and a new group appeared in 2010 that identified as Black, making up 0.33%. Another significant increase occurred among those identifying with two or more races, which rose substantially from 0.46% to 1.60%. There was also a modest uptick in the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Natives from 0.50% to 0.72%. Notably, in 2010, a small proportion (0.49%) identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, a category that wasn't present in the 2000 census for this surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.62% | 95.04% | -2.64% |
| Hispanic | 1.17% | 1.83% | 56.41% |
| Two or More Races | 0.46% | 1.6% | 247.83% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.5% | 0.72% | 44% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.49% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0.33% | 0% |