2000
#12,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,372
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Schacht
A German occupational surname referring to a shaft or mine supervisor, derived from the German word "Schacht."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,508 Americans carry the last name Schacht. That puts it at #13,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,664 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schacht 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
2.5K
1 in 136,664
Census rank
#13,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,187 bearers of the surname Schacht in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schacht, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schacht
The surname Schacht originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "schacht," which means "mine shaft" or "pit." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with miners or those involved in the mining industry.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Schacht can be found in the Deutsches Bürgerbuch, a historical record of German citizens, dating back to the 14th century. The name appeared in various forms, such as Schachte, Schachten, and Schachter, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
During the 15th century, the name Schacht was prevalent in the regions of Saxony and Thuringia, where mining activities were prominent. Several historical records from this period mention individuals bearing this surname, indicating their involvement in mining operations or residing in mining communities.
One notable figure from the 16th century was Hans Schacht, a German mineralogist and mining engineer who lived from 1510 to 1577. He is credited with significant contributions to the development of mining techniques and the understanding of mineral formations.
In the 17th century, the surname Schacht gained prominence in the city of Hamburg, where a family of merchants and bankers bearing this name rose to prominence. Johann Schacht (1592-1664) was a successful merchant and banker who established a thriving business in the city.
Another individual of historical significance was Kaspar Schacht (1658-1705), a German composer and organist from Saxony. He is renowned for his compositions for the organ and his contribution to the development of baroque music.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Johann Friedrich Schacht (1726-1789), a German jurist and legal scholar from Saxony. He authored several influential works on legal theory and practice, which were widely read and studied in German universities.
In the 19th century, the name Schacht was associated with the German industrialist and entrepreneur Adolf von Schacht (1847-1923). He founded the Schacht iron and steel company, which played a significant role in the industrialization of Germany during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Throughout its history, the surname Schacht has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Germany, with its origins rooted in the mining industry and later diversifying into various professions and fields of endeavor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schacht
Among Census respondents with the surname Schacht, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Schacht 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 Schacht surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,003
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 86
- Two or more races2.7% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schacht
Schacht 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
#13,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,316
-56 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 1,125 places
2020
#13,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,187
-129 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,070 | 2,372 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,195 | 2,316 | 0.79 | -56 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 1,125 places |
| 2020 | #13,334 | 2,187 | 0.73 | -129 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 139 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 Schacht 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 | #13,195 | #13,334 | -1.1% |
| Count | 2,316 | 2,187 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.73 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schacht bearers went from 2,316 to 2,187 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,195 to #13,334.
FAQ
Schacht surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schacht?
Name Census estimates that about 2,508 living Americans carry the surname Schacht. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,664 residents.
How common is Schacht?
Schacht ranks #13,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,187 people with the surname Schacht. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,508), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Schacht.
Has Schacht become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schacht went from 2,316 recorded bearers to 2,187. That is a decrease of 129 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,195 to #13,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Schacht?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schacht, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Schacht in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,003 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schacht appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Schacht (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 Schacht mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a shaft or mine supervisor, derived from the German word "Schacht." 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 Schacht (0.73 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 share the surname Schacht?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.