2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schachinger
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "schachen", meaning to move like a chess piece.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Schachinger. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schachinger 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Schachinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schachinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schachinger
The surname Schachinger originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, most likely in the areas that are now part of modern-day Germany and Austria. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Schach," which means "chess," and the suffix "-inger," which is a common patronymic ending indicating descent or lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Schachinger can be found in a 14th-century document from the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Johannes Schachinger was mentioned as a resident. This suggests that the name was already in use during the Late Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Schachinger surname was Hans Schachinger, a renowned chess player and author who lived in Salzburg, Austria, between 1495 and 1576. His writings on chess strategies and techniques are considered seminal works in the history of the game.
Another historical figure associated with the Schachinger name was Johann Georg Schachinger, a German composer and organist who was born in Augsburg in 1711 and died in 1785. He is known for his contributions to the development of the organ concerto genre and his influential compositions for the instrument.
In the 19th century, the Schachinger surname gained prominence in the field of art and literature. Franz Schachinger (1806-1872) was an Austrian painter and lithographer who specialized in landscapes and portraiture. His works were highly acclaimed during his lifetime and are now part of prestigious collections in various museums across Europe.
Another notable bearer of the Schachinger name was the Austrian writer and playwright Rudolf Schachinger (1857-1926). He was a prolific author known for his plays, novels, and short stories, many of which dealt with social issues and the struggles of the working class in late 19th-century Austria.
While the Schachinger surname originated in the German-speaking regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural and historical heritage of Central Europe, where it has left an indelible mark across various fields, including chess, music, art, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schachinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Schachinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schachinger 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 Schachinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schachinger
Schachinger appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+7 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,204 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-5 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 2,204 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 2,650 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 Schachinger 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 | #151,532 | #154,182 | -1.7% |
| Count | 108 | 103 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schachinger bearers went from 108 to 103 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 2,650 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #154,182.
FAQ
Schachinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schachinger?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Schachinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Schachinger?
Schachinger ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Schachinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Schachinger.
Has Schachinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schachinger went from 108 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Schachinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schachinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Schachinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schachinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Schachinger (2000, 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 Schachinger mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "schachen", meaning to move like a chess piece. 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 Schachinger (0.03 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 are called Schachinger?
You can see how common the surname Schachinger is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.