2000
#10,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,969
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Schechter
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a ritual slaughterer, derived from the Hebrew word "shochet."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,277 Americans carry the last name Schechter. That puts it at #10,679 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,594 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schechter 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
3.3K
1 in 104,594
Census rank
#10,679
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,858 bearers of the surname Schechter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10679th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schechter, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schechter
The surname Schechter has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Schächter," which means a ritual slaughterer or a person responsible for slaughtering animals according to Jewish dietary laws.
The earliest recorded instances of the Schechter surname can be found in various German documents and records from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a Jacob Schechter in a 1602 census record from the town of Frankenthal, in the Palatinate region of Germany.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Schachter, Schechter, and Shechter, among others. These variations can often be attributed to regional dialects, transcription errors, or attempts to anglicize the name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Schechter surname was Solomon Schechter (1847-1915), a renowned scholar and leader in the field of Jewish studies. He was born in Romania and later emigrated to England, where he became the president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1902.
Another notable figure was Joseph Schechter (1877-1957), an American rabbi and scholar who served as the president of the Rabbinical Assembly of America and played a significant role in the development of Conservative Judaism.
In the realm of literature, Ruth Schechter (1904-1989) was an American author and editor, best known for her works on Jewish history and culture, including "The Prince of Boston" and "The Way Home."
The name Schechter has also been associated with various places and locations throughout history. For instance, the town of Schechter, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, may have derived its name from individuals bearing this surname who lived in or near the area.
It is worth noting that the Schechter surname, while primarily associated with Jewish communities, has also been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds and ethnicities over time, further diversifying its historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schechter
Among Census respondents with the surname Schechter, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schechter 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 Schechter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 2,686
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 81
- Two or more races1.8% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
- Black or African American0.5% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schechter
Schechter 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
#9,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,395
+426 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 440 places
2020
#10,679
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,858
-537 bearers (-15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 1,106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,013 | 2,969 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,573 | 3,395 | 1.15 | +426 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 440 places |
| 2020 | #10,679 | 2,858 | 0.96 | -537 bearers (-15.8%) | Down 1,106 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 Schechter 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 | #9,573 | #10,679 | -11.6% |
| Count | 3,395 | 2,858 | -15.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 0.96 | -16.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schechter bearers went from 3,395 to 2,858 (-15.8% change). The surname moved down 1,106 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,573 to #10,679.
FAQ
Schechter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schechter?
Name Census estimates that about 3,277 living Americans carry the surname Schechter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,594 residents.
How common is Schechter?
Schechter ranks #10,679 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,858 people with the surname Schechter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,277), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Schechter.
Has Schechter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schechter went from 3,395 recorded bearers to 2,858. That is a decrease of 537 (-15.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,573 to #10,679.
What does the Census say about the background of Schechter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schechter, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Schechter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (2,686 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schechter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (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 Schechter (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 Schechter mean?
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a ritual slaughterer, derived from the Hebrew word "shochet." 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 Schechter (0.96 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 Schechter?
Find out how many people are called Schechter on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.