2000
#5,972
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,309
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.97
Rare Last name
Schauer
A German occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a spectator or onlooker, likely at public events.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,963 Americans carry the last name Schauer. That puts it at #6,295 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schauer 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
6.0K
1 in 57,480
Census rank
#6,295
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,200 bearers of the surname Schauer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6295th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schauer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schauer
The surname Schauer is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Austria.
The name Schauer is derived from the Middle High German word "schouwer," which means "one who looks or gazes." This term likely referred to professions or occupations that involved observation or inspection, such as a watchman, surveyor, or inspector.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Schauer surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dated around the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during this period.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Hans Schauer was mentioned in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany. He was a respected merchant and landowner, indicating that the Schauer family had achieved a certain level of prominence by that time.
During the Renaissance period, the Schauer surname was associated with several scholars and intellectuals. One prominent example is Johann Schauer (1529-1605), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
Another notable individual was Maria Schauer (1676-1744), a German painter and engraver known for her exceptional skills in portraiture and religious artworks. Her works are exhibited in various museums across Europe.
In the 19th century, Wilhelm Schauer (1813-1875) was a renowned German botanist and explorer. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life in South America, particularly in Brazil, where he conducted extensive research and collected numerous plant specimens.
One of the earliest recorded place names associated with the Schauer surname is Schauerhof, a village in Bavaria, Germany. This suggests that the name may have originated in this region and later spread to other parts of Germany and beyond.
Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the Schauer surname have been observed, such as Schawer, Schouwer, and Schaur. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and local pronunciations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schauer
Among Census respondents with the surname Schauer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Schauer 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 Schauer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 4,865
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 152
- Two or more races2.3% · 117
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 31
- Black or African American0.4% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schauer
Schauer 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
#6,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,463
+154 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 280 places
2020
#6,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,200
-263 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,972 | 5,309 | 1.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,252 | 5,463 | 1.85 | +154 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 280 places |
| 2020 | #6,295 | 5,200 | 1.74 | -263 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 43 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 Schauer 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 | #6,252 | #6,295 | -0.7% |
| Count | 5,463 | 5,200 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.85 | 1.74 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schauer bearers went from 5,463 to 5,200 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,252 to #6,295.
FAQ
Schauer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schauer?
Name Census estimates that about 5,963 living Americans carry the surname Schauer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,480 residents.
How common is Schauer?
Schauer ranks #6,295 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.74 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 5,200 people with the surname Schauer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,963), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.74 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 Schauer.
Has Schauer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schauer went from 5,463 recorded bearers to 5,200. That is a decrease of 263 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,252 to #6,295.
What does the Census say about the background of Schauer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schauer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Schauer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (4,865 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schauer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Schauer (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 Schauer mean?
A German occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a spectator or onlooker, likely at public events. 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 Schauer (1.74 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 common is the surname Schauer?
Find out how many people have the surname Schauer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.