2000
#11,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,395
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Schad
A German occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a maker or seller of barrels or casks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,792 Americans carry the last name Schad. That puts it at #12,202 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,763 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schad 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
2.8K
1 in 122,763
Census rank
#12,202
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,435 bearers of the surname Schad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12202nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schad, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schad
The surname SCHAD is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. The name is derived from the Old German word "scado," which means "shadow" or "shade," suggesting a possible connection to individuals living in shady areas or near forests.
One of the earliest known references to the SCHAD surname can be found in historical records from the 13th century. In 1275, a document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber mentions a certain "Heinrich Schad," indicating the presence of the surname in that region during that time period.
The SCHAD name also appears in various medieval manuscripts and records, such as the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony. This suggests that the name was well-established in various parts of Germany by the late Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, records show a prominent SCHAD family residing in the city of Nuremberg. Johann Schad, born in 1530, was a respected merchant and member of the city council. His son, Georg Schad (1563-1622), followed in his footsteps and became a successful businessman and influential figure in Nuremberg's trade circles.
Another notable individual with the SCHAD surname was Johann Baptist Schad (1758-1834), a German Catholic theologian and philosopher. He was born in Bamberg and served as a professor of theology at the University of Würzburg, making significant contributions to the field of Christian apologetics.
In the 19th century, the SCHAD name gained further recognition with the birth of Christian Friedrich Schad (1796-1877), a German painter and lithographer. He was born in Würzburg and is renowned for his landscape paintings and lithographic works depicting scenes from Bavaria and the Black Forest region.
It is worth noting that variations of the SCHAD surname have also been documented, such as Schade, Schadt, and Schädel. These variations may have emerged due to regional dialects or spelling differences over time.
While the SCHAD surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide valuable insights into the origins and early development of this surname within the German context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schad
Among Census respondents with the surname Schad, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Schad 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 Schad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,252
- Two or more races2.7% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schad
Schad 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
#12,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,491
+96 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 496 places
2020
#12,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,435
-56 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 258 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,964 | 2,395 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,460 | 2,491 | 0.84 | +96 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 496 places |
| 2020 | #12,202 | 2,435 | 0.81 | -56 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 258 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 Schad 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 | #12,460 | #12,202 | 2.1% |
| Count | 2,491 | 2,435 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 0.81 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schad bearers went from 2,491 to 2,435 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 258 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,460 to #12,202.
FAQ
Schad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schad?
Name Census estimates that about 2,792 living Americans carry the surname Schad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,763 residents.
How common is Schad?
Schad ranks #12,202 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,435 people with the surname Schad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,792), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Schad.
Has Schad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schad went from 2,491 recorded bearers to 2,435. That is a decrease of 56 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,460 to #12,202.
What does the Census say about the background of Schad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schad, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Schad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,252 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Schad (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 Schad mean?
A German occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a maker or seller of barrels or casks. 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 Schad (0.81 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 last name Schad?
You can see how many people are called Schad on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.