2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schellenbach
A German topographic surname referring to a location near a stream called "Schellenbach".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Schellenbach. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schellenbach 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Schellenbach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schellenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schellenbach
The surname Schellenbach is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where the name was derived from a German place name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Schellenbach can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during this time period.
Schellenbach is a topographic surname, meaning it was originally derived from a geographic feature or location. Many historians believe the name is derived from the Old German words "schelle," meaning "bell," and "bach," meaning "stream" or "brook." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a stream or river where bells could be heard, perhaps from a nearby church or monastery.
In the 16th century, a man named Hans Schellenbach was recorded as a landowner in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval city in Bavaria. This provides evidence of the surname's presence in this region during the Renaissance era.
One notable figure bearing the Schellenbach surname was Johann Schellenbach, a German military officer who lived from 1585 to 1647. He served as a general in the Thirty Years' War and was recognized for his strategic military campaigns.
Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Schellenbach, a German botanist born in 1788. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and was particularly renowned for his work on the flora of the Harz Mountains in central Germany.
In the 19th century, a German writer and poet named Wilhelm Schellenbach gained recognition for his literary works. He was born in 1823 and published several volumes of poetry and prose during his lifetime.
While the surname Schellenbach is not as common today as it once was, its historical origins and presence in various parts of Europe, particularly Germany, are well documented. The name stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schellenbach
Among Census respondents with the surname Schellenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schellenbach 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 Schellenbach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino14.0% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schellenbach
Schellenbach 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,187 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,187 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 Schellenbach 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 | #150,452 | #151,639 | -0.8% |
| Count | 109 | 107 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schellenbach bearers went from 109 to 107 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,187 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #151,639.
FAQ
Schellenbach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schellenbach?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Schellenbach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Schellenbach?
Schellenbach ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Schellenbach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Schellenbach.
Has Schellenbach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schellenbach went from 109 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Schellenbach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schellenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Schellenbach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schellenbach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Hispanic (14.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Schellenbach (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 Schellenbach mean?
A German topographic surname referring to a location near a stream called "Schellenbach". 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 Schellenbach (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 Schellenbach?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.