2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schafler
A German surname derived from words meaning "shepherd" or "sheep herder".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Schafler. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schafler 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Schafler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schafler, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (36.3%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schafler
The surname Schafler originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "Schafer," which translates to "shepherd" or "sheep herder." This occupational surname was initially given to individuals whose primary occupation involved tending and caring for sheep.
The earliest known record of the Schafler surname can be found in the medieval German document called the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," where a certain "Heinrich Schafler" is mentioned as a witness in a land transaction dated 1187. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence during the High Middle Ages in the region of Saxony, now part of modern-day Germany.
In the 14th century, the Schafler name appeared in the "Stadtbücher" (city books) of Nuremberg, a significant trade center in southern Germany. These records document various individuals bearing the Schafler surname who were involved in local government and commerce.
One notable figure with the Schafler surname was Johann Schafler (1530-1594), a German theologian and Protestant reformer. He was a prominent figure in the Lutheran church and served as a professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg.
Another historical figure was Hans Schafler (1482-1545), a German artist and printmaker who was best known for his woodcuts and engravings. His works often depicted religious and allegorical scenes, and he is considered one of the most influential printmakers of the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the surname Schafler also appeared in the town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. These records mention several Schafler families who were involved in various trades and occupations within the town.
During the 17th century, the Schafler name was associated with the village of Schaflersdorf, located in the region of Upper Palatinate, Bavaria. This village likely derived its name from the Schafler families who resided there and were engaged in sheep farming or related occupations.
One of the earliest known emigrations of the Schafler surname occurred in the late 17th century when Johann Michael Schafler (1660-1732) and his family left Germany for Pennsylvania, seeking religious freedom and economic opportunities in the New World.
Over the centuries, the Schafler surname has spread throughout Germany and beyond, with variations in spelling such as Schäfler, Schaffler, and Scheffler emerging in different regions. Despite these variations, the surname's origins can be traced back to the occupation of sheep herding in medieval Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schafler
Among Census respondents with the surname Schafler, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (36.3%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schafler 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 Schafler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.8% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino36.3% · 41
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schafler
Schafler 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+7 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,353 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,080 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 2,353 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,080 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 Schafler 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 | #144,141 | #147,221 | -2.1% |
| Count | 115 | 113 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schafler bearers went from 115 to 113 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,080 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #147,221.
FAQ
Schafler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schafler?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Schafler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Schafler?
Schafler ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Schafler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Schafler.
Has Schafler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schafler went from 115 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Schafler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schafler, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (36.3%) and Black (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 Schafler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.8% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schafler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.8%), Hispanic (36.3%), Black (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 Schafler (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 Schafler mean?
A German surname derived from words meaning "shepherd" or "sheep herder". 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 Schafler (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 Schafler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.