Schnell
A German surname meaning “quick” or “swift,” originally a descriptive nickname for a fast or agile person.
The #5,208 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 46,026 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Schnell comes from the German word schnell, meaning “quick” or “swift.” The older Germanic root is found across related languages, including Old High German, Old Saxon, and Old Norse, where it carried senses like “fast,” “active,” and sometimes “bold” or “brave.” As a surname, it began as a nickname for someone known for speed, energy, or promptness.
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas and is also found in related forms in English and Dutch, reflecting the common Germanic adjective behind it. Historical surname references often group Schnell with other nicknames formed from qualities admired in medieval naming, such as agility or courage. In immigrant communities, the surname was carried into countries such as the United States, where it remained recognizable in its original German spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname dictionaries often glossed Schnell simply as “swift,” showing how transparent the meaning was to scholars of the time.
From the historical record
“SNELL (Eng.) Quick, Active, Agile ; earlier also Bold, Brave [O.E. snel(l = O.Sax. O.H.Ger. . snel(l (mod. schnell) = Dut. snel] . . . se snella sunu Wonredes (. . . the agile son of Wonred). —”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)