2000
#14,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,957
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Schaible
Derived from the Middle High German word "schoup," referring to a bundle of straw, likely an occupational name for a thatcher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,281 Americans carry the last name Schaible. That puts it at #14,444 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,265 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schaible 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
2.3K
1 in 150,265
Census rank
#14,444
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,989 bearers of the surname Schaible in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14444th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schaible, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schaible
The surname Schaible is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "scheibel," meaning a small disc or plate. This name likely originated in the 14th or 15th century among occupational surnames in Germany.
The name is thought to have been initially bestowed upon individuals who were involved in the production or sale of plates, discs, or similar circular objects. This could include potters, metalworkers, or even makers of armor components such as breastplates.
Historical records indicate that the name Schaible appeared in various parts of Germany, particularly in regions like Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Nürnberger Bürgerbuch, a citizen registry from the city of Nuremberg, dating back to the 15th century.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the surname Schaible was Hans Schaible, a German goldsmith and engraver born in Nuremberg around 1500. His intricate metalwork and engravings were highly regarded during his lifetime.
Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Schaible, a German theologian and author born in Esslingen in 1647. He authored several theological works and served as a Lutheran pastor in various parishes throughout southern Germany.
During the 17th century, the name Schaible also appeared in records from the town of Scheibenhardt, which was then part of the Palatinate region. It is possible that the town's name, derived from the German word "scheibe" (disc or plate), may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that area.
In the 18th century, a German composer named Johann Schaible, born in Ulm in 1737, gained recognition for his works for the church and the theater. His compositions were performed throughout the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Another notable figure was Carl Schaible, a German-born American architect who lived from 1832 to 1909. He designed several prominent buildings in the city of Chicago, including the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Auditorium Building, which was considered a masterpiece of architectural design at the time.
Throughout its history, the surname Schaible has been found in various spellings, including Scheible, Scheibel, and Scheibler, reflecting regional variations and linguistic changes over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schaible
Among Census respondents with the surname Schaible, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Schaible 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 Schaible surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 1,859
- Two or more races2.9% · 58
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schaible
Schaible 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
#15,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,954
-3 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 991 places
2020
#14,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,989
+35 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 655 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,108 | 1,957 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,099 | 1,954 | 0.66 | -3 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 991 places |
| 2020 | #14,444 | 1,989 | 0.67 | +35 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 655 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 Schaible 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 | #15,099 | #14,444 | 4.3% |
| Count | 1,954 | 1,989 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.67 | 0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schaible bearers went from 1,954 to 1,989 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 655 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,099 to #14,444.
FAQ
Schaible surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schaible?
Name Census estimates that about 2,281 living Americans carry the surname Schaible. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,265 residents.
How common is Schaible?
Schaible ranks #14,444 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 1,989 people with the surname Schaible. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,281), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Schaible.
Has Schaible become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schaible went from 1,954 recorded bearers to 1,989. That is an increase of 35 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,099 to #14,444.
What does the Census say about the background of Schaible?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schaible, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) 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 Schaible in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (1,859 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schaible appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%), 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 Schaible (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 Schaible mean?
Derived from the Middle High German word "schoup," referring to a bundle of straw, likely an occupational name for a thatcher. 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 Schaible (0.67 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 Schaible?
You can see how many people are called Schaible on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.