2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schabell
A surname of German origin meaning "bell" or "rattle."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Schabell. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schabell 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Schabell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schabell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schabell
The surname "SCHABELL" is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Schabel," which translates to "sheath" or "scabbard," referring to the protective covering for a sword or other bladed weapon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the German state of Bavaria, where it was documented in the 16th century. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions around Munich and Nuremberg, suggesting that it may have originated in these areas or nearby.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname began to appear in various historical records and documents across Germany and neighboring countries. For example, there are references to individuals with the surname Schabell in the archives of the city of Augsburg, which date back to the 1600s.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Schabell was a German soldier named Hans Schabell, who served in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). Records indicate that he was born in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1602 and fought for the Imperial forces during the conflict.
Another notable figure with this surname was Johann Schabell, a German watchmaker and inventor who lived in the 18th century. He is credited with developing several innovative timepiece mechanisms and was a respected craftsman in his time.
In the 19th century, a branch of the Schabell family immigrated to the United States, settling in the Midwest. One prominent member of this lineage was Friedrich Schabell, a farmer and landowner who was born in Bavaria in 1824 and later relocated to Illinois, where he established a successful agricultural operation.
Over the centuries, the surname Schabell has undergone various spelling variations, such as Schabel, Schabell, Schabel, and Schaebell. These variations can be attributed to regional dialects, as well as the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier times.
While the name Schabell has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and various European countries, carried by descendants of the original bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schabell
Among Census respondents with the surname Schabell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schabell 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 Schabell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schabell
Schabell appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-7 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,191 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 8,191 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 Schabell 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 | #138,304 | #146,495 | -5.9% |
| Count | 121 | 114 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schabell bearers went from 121 to 114 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 8,191 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #146,495.
FAQ
Schabell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schabell?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Schabell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Schabell?
Schabell ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Schabell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Schabell.
Has Schabell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schabell went from 121 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Schabell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schabell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Schabell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schabell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Schabell (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 Schabell mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "bell" or "rattle." 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 Schabell (0.04 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 surname Schabell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.