Find out how popular the last name Schelling is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Schelling.

Schelling, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Schelling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schelling in America

Schelling is the 25620th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schelling surname appeared 963 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Schelling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schelling to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Schelling

The surname Schelling is of German origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "schelle," meaning a bell or a ringing sound. The name may have initially referred to someone who made or sold bells, or perhaps someone whose occupation involved ringing bells.

In medieval times, the name Schelling was found in various regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Swabia. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Schell, Schelle, and Schellinger.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Schelling dates back to 1292, when a Chunradus Schelling was listed in the tax records of the town of Augsburg, located in present-day Bavaria.

The surname Schelling has also been associated with certain place names. For instance, the town of Schellenberg in Austria may have contributed to the surname's development.

Notable historical figures with the surname Schelling include Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling (1775-1854), a German philosopher and one of the principal figures of German Idealism. He was a contemporary of Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

Another prominent individual was Ernst Schelling (1876-1939), a German-American literary scholar and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is known for his work on English literature and Shakespeare studies.

In the realm of art, Otto Schelling (1888-1965) was a German painter and printmaker associated with the Expressionist movement. His works often depicted scenes from rural life and landscapes.

The name Schelling has also been carried by individuals in other fields, such as Johann Schelling (1826-1897), a German military officer and politician who served as the Minister of War for Prussia.

Lastly, Thomas Schelling (1921-2016) was an American economist and professor who received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2005 for his contributions to game theory and its applications in various fields, including conflict resolution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schelling

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Schelling.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Schelling was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Schelling has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Schelling was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Schelling, please contact us.

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