2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schaftlein
A German surname derived from the word for small shaft or staff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Schaftlein. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schaftlein 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Schaftlein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schaftlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schaftlein
The surname SCHAFTLEIN originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Schaft," which means "shaft" or "handle," and the diminutive suffix "-lein," indicating a smaller version or a derivative. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with shafts or handles, such as a maker of tools or weapons.
The earliest known record of the SCHAFTLEIN surname appears in a document from the city of Nuremberg in 1549, where a merchant named Hans SCHAFTLEIN is mentioned. This indicates that the name was present in the region of Franconia, in what is now modern-day Bavaria, during the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, the SCHAFTLEIN name is found in various church records and legal documents across different German states, including Saxony, Hesse, and Württemberg. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of Germany over time.
One notable individual bearing the SCHAFTLEIN surname was Johann Christoph SCHAFTLEIN (1679-1747), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in Wittenberg. He published several religious works during his lifetime.
Another individual of historical significance was Karl Friedrich SCHAFTLEIN (1776-1848), a German botanist and physician. He authored several publications on plant taxonomy and served as a professor at the University of Freiburg.
In the 19th century, the SCHAFTLEIN name appears in various records related to the German immigrant community in the United States. Friedrich SCHAFTLEIN (1827-1901), born in Württemberg, immigrated to Missouri in the 1850s and became a prominent farmer and landowner.
Heinrich SCHAFTLEIN (1861-1932), a native of Bavaria, was a notable artist and illustrator who emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. He is known for his illustrations in several books and magazines of the time.
Another individual of note was Emilie SCHAFTLEIN (1871-1945), a German educator and women's rights activist. She founded several educational institutions for girls and advocated for equal opportunities for women in education and employment.
While the SCHAFTLEIN surname may have originated from a specific occupation or trade, it has since spread across various regions and countries, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schaftlein
Among Census respondents with the surname Schaftlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schaftlein 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 Schaftlein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schaftlein
Schaftlein 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,223 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,895 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,223 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,895 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 Schaftlein 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 | #157,234 | #152,339 | 3.1% |
| Count | 103 | 106 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schaftlein bearers went from 103 to 106 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,895 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,339.
FAQ
Schaftlein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schaftlein?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Schaftlein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Schaftlein?
Schaftlein ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Schaftlein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Schaftlein.
Has Schaftlein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schaftlein went from 103 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Schaftlein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schaftlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Schaftlein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schaftlein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Schaftlein (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 Schaftlein mean?
A German surname derived from the word for small shaft or staff. 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 Schaftlein (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 last name Schaftlein?
Want to know how many people have the last name Schaftlein? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.