2000
#5,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,250
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.32
Rare Last name
Schatz
A German and Jewish surname meaning "treasure" or referring to a treasurer or thrifty person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,760 Americans carry the last name Schatz. That puts it at #5,673 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,703 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schatz 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
6.8K
1 in 50,703
Census rank
#5,673
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,895 bearers of the surname Schatz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5673rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schatz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schatz
The surname Schatz originated in Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It derives from the Middle High German word "schatz," meaning "treasure" or "jewel." The name likely arose as a nickname for someone who was highly valued or considered a precious person within their community.
The earliest known record of the Schatz surname dates back to the 13th century, appearing in various medieval documents and manuscripts. One notable example is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical records from Saxony, which mentions a person named Heinricus Schatz in 1287.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Schatz name became more widespread across various regions of Germany, particularly in areas like Saxony, Bavaria, and the Rhineland. Variations in spelling, such as Schatze, Schatzmann, and Schatzmeister, also emerged during this period.
In the 16th century, the Schatz surname gained some prominence with the work of Johannes Schatz (1504-1548), a German theologian and reformer who played a role in the Protestant Reformation. Another notable figure was Georg Schatz (1560-1625), a German composer and organist who served at the court of Saxony.
The 17th century saw the birth of Johann Jakob Schatz (1640-1676), a German Baroque composer and organist who worked in various cities across Germany. Around the same time, Johann Andreas Schatz (1662-1705) was a German jurist and philosopher who held influential positions in the court of Saxony-Gotha.
In the 18th century, the Schatz name was associated with Johann Friedrich Schatz (1714-1770), a German historian and librarian who authored several works on the history of Saxony and Brandenburg. Additionally, Carl Gottlieb Schatz (1757-1828) was a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it also found its way into various place names, such as Schatzberg (meaning "treasure hill") and Schatzhofen (meaning "treasure courtyard"), further highlighting the name's connection to the concept of value and preciousness.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schatz
Among Census respondents with the surname Schatz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schatz 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 Schatz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 5,455
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 177
- Two or more races2.8% · 166
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 64
- Black or African American0.3% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schatz
Schatz 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
#5,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,261
+11 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Down 402 places
2020
#5,673
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,895
-366 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Down 120 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,151 | 6,250 | 2.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,553 | 6,261 | 2.12 | +11 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 402 places |
| 2020 | #5,673 | 5,895 | 1.97 | -366 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 120 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 Schatz 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 | #5,553 | #5,673 | -2.2% |
| Count | 6,261 | 5,895 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.12 | 1.97 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schatz bearers went from 6,261 to 5,895 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 120 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,553 to #5,673.
FAQ
Schatz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schatz?
Name Census estimates that about 6,760 living Americans carry the surname Schatz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,703 residents.
How common is Schatz?
Schatz ranks #5,673 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,895 people with the surname Schatz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,760), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Schatz.
Has Schatz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schatz went from 6,261 recorded bearers to 5,895. That is a decrease of 366 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,553 to #5,673.
What does the Census say about the background of Schatz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schatz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Schatz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (5,455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schatz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Schatz (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 Schatz mean?
A German and Jewish surname meaning "treasure" or referring to a treasurer or thrifty person. 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 Schatz (1.97 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 are called Schatz?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Schatz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.