2000
#26,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 885
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Very Rare Last name
Scheider
A German occupational surname referring to a woodcutter or lumberjack.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 929 Americans carry the last name Scheider. That puts it at #30,781 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 368,950 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scheider 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
929
1 in 368,950
Census rank
#30,781
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
810
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 810 bearers of the surname Scheider in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30781st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scheider, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scheider
The surname Scheider has its origins in the German language. It is a variation of the occupational name "Schneider," which means "tailor" or "cutter" in German. The name first appeared in the Middle Ages, around the 12th century, in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Scheider can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a certain "Henricus Schneider" from the town of Soest, located in the region of Westphalia, Germany.
The name Scheider is also connected to various place names across Germany. For example, the town of Scheiderhöhe in the state of Hesse derives its name from the word "Scheider," indicating a possible link to people with this surname living in the area.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Scheider. One of the earliest was Johannes Scheider, a German astronomer and mathematician who lived from 1477 to 1548. He is known for his contributions to the field of astrology and his work on planetary motion.
Another significant figure was Gottfried Scheider, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1775 to 1854. He played a crucial role in the development of the philosophical movement known as German Idealism and was a contemporary of influential thinkers like Hegel and Schelling.
In the 19th century, Karl Scheider (1809-1889) was a prominent German composer and conductor, known for his operas and choral works. He served as the director of the Dessau Court Theatre and contributed significantly to the cultural life of the region.
Moving into the 20th century, Rene Scheider (1936-1999) was a famous French actor who starred in numerous films, including "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" and "The Last Metro." He was a recipient of the prestigious César Award for Best Actor.
Finally, one cannot overlook the legacy of Jacqueline Scheider (1932-2014), an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role in the iconic film "The King and I," for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
These are just a few examples of prominent individuals who have borne the surname Scheider throughout history, showcasing the rich tapestry of this name's legacy across various fields and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scheider
Among Census respondents with the surname Scheider, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Scheider 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 Scheider surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 754
- Two or more races3.1% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 3
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scheider
Scheider 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
#28,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 838
-47 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 2,430 places
2020
#30,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 810
-28 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 2,316 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,035 | 885 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,465 | 838 | 0.28 | -47 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 2,430 places |
| 2020 | #30,781 | 810 | 0.27 | -28 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 2,316 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 Scheider 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 | #28,465 | #30,781 | -8.1% |
| Count | 838 | 810 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.27 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scheider bearers went from 838 to 810 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 2,316 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,465 to #30,781.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Scheider
FAQ
Scheider surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scheider?
Name Census estimates that about 929 living Americans carry the surname Scheider. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 368,950 residents.
How common is Scheider?
Scheider ranks #30,781 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 810 people with the surname Scheider. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (929), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Scheider.
Has Scheider become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scheider went from 838 recorded bearers to 810. That is a decrease of 28 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,465 to #30,781.
What does the Census say about the background of Scheider?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scheider, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (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 Scheider in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (754 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scheider appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (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 Scheider (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 Scheider mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a woodcutter or lumberjack. 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 Scheider (0.27 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 Scheider?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Scheider, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.