2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schardan
A German surname derived from the word "Scharf" meaning sharp or keen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Schardan. 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 Schardan 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 Schardan 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 Schardan, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schardan
The surname Schardan is of German origin, with roots dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "scar," meaning a cliff or steep rock, and the suffix "-dan," indicating a person or place. The name likely originated in the mountainous regions of southern Germany, where such topographical features were common.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Schardan surname can be found in the Bavarian town of Landshut's municipal records from the 14th century. The entry, dated 1387, refers to a certain "Hans Schardan," a local landowner and farmer.
In the 15th century, the name appears in several historical documents from the nearby city of Nuremberg. A notable figure from this era was Johannes Schardan, a renowned clockmaker and inventor who lived from 1435 to 1498. His innovative designs and intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility and affluent merchants of the time.
As the Schardan family expanded and migrated throughout the German states, the name underwent various spellings and regional variations. In the 16th century, records from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber list several individuals with the surname spelled as "Schardahn" or "Schardann."
During the 17th century, the Thirty Years' War had a significant impact on the distribution of the Schardan name. Many families fled the conflict-ridden regions, with some branches settling in the nearby Kingdom of Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic). One prominent figure from this period was Hans Georg Schardan (1620-1698), a respected Protestant theologian and author who served as a pastor in the city of Prague.
The 18th century saw the rise of a notable Schardan family in the Prussian city of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia). Johannes Schardan (1724-1789) was a highly regarded lawyer and legal scholar who served as a judge in the city's court system. His son, Carl Friedrich Schardan (1761-1828), followed in his footsteps and became a respected jurist and professor of law at the University of Königsberg.
In the 19th century, the Schardan name spread further across Europe, with branches establishing themselves in various countries, including Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands. One notable figure from this era was the Dutch-born artist and illustrator, Willem Schardan (1835-1901), whose detailed etchings and engravings depicted scenes from everyday life in the Netherlands.
As the centuries passed, the Schardan surname continued to be carried by individuals from diverse professions and walks of life, each contributing to the rich tapestry of the name's history and legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schardan
Among Census respondents with the surname Schardan, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schardan 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 Schardan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 107
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schardan
Schardan appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,113 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 Schardan 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 | #142,108 | #147,221 | -3.6% |
| Count | 117 | 113 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schardan bearers went from 117 to 113 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,221.
FAQ
Schardan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schardan?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Schardan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Schardan?
Schardan 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 Schardan. 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 Schardan.
Has Schardan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schardan went from 117 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Schardan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schardan, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Schardan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schardan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Schardan (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 Schardan mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Scharf" meaning sharp or keen. 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 Schardan (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 Americans have the surname Schardan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.