Explore the Family Name Shaeffer
The meaning of Shaeffer
Americanized form of German Schäffer (see Schaffer 2).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shaeffer in the United States?
The surname Shaeffer has seen a slight decrease in popularity in the United States based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it was the 12,206th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 12,944th position, representing a change of -6.05%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Shaeffer surname increased slightly from 2,340 in 2000 to 2,373 in 2010, a growth of 1.41%. However, its proportion per 100,000 people decreased by -8.05% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,206 | #12,944 | -6.05% |
| Count | 2,340 | 2,373 | 1.41% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.87 | 0.8 | -8.05% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shaeffer
In terms of ethnic identity, the Shaeffer surname is predominantly associated with the White ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In both 2000 and 2010, over 95% of those bearing the surname identified as White, with only a marginal decrease of -0.77% over the decade. The Hispanic identity showed a significant increase in association with the Shaeffer surname, growing by 75.83%, albeit from a small base of 1.20% in 2000. On the other hand, there was a notable decrease of -21.50% in those identifying as Black. Other ethnicities, such as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races, saw minor decreases, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native identity saw a modest increase of 46.15%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.85% | 95.11% | -0.77% |
| Hispanic | 1.2% | 2.11% | 75.83% |
| Two or More Races | 1.15% | 1.1% | -4.35% |
| Black | 1.07% | 0.84% | -21.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.46% | -2.13% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.26% | 0.38% | 46.15% |