2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Scherdin
A Germanic surname derived from "scherd" meaning shareholder or participant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Scherdin. 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 Scherdin 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 Scherdin 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 Scherdin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scherdin
The surname Scherdin is believed to have originated in the region of Germany, particularly in the southern regions near the borders with Switzerland and Austria. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century.
One theory suggests that the name Scherdin is derived from the Old High German word "scher," which means "to cut" or "to shear." This could indicate that the original bearers of this surname were involved in occupations related to cutting or shearing, such as cloth-making, tailoring, or even barbering.
Another possibility is that the name Scherdin evolved from a place name or a topographical feature. Some scholars believe it may have originated from a location with a distinctive feature, such as a rocky outcrop or a sharp bend in a river, which could be associated with the word "scher."
The earliest known record of the Scherdin name dates back to the 14th century, when it appeared in a collection of legal documents from the city of Ulm in southern Germany. In 1387, a certain Johannes Scherdin was mentioned as a citizen of Ulm, suggesting that the name was already established in that region.
Throughout the centuries, several individuals bearing the Scherdin surname have left their mark on history. One notable figure was Hans Scherdin, a German composer and organist who lived in the 16th century. He is best known for his contributions to the development of Protestant church music during the Reformation era.
Another individual of note was Johann Scherdin, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1572. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was one of the first to support the heliocentric model proposed by Copernicus.
In the 18th century, Wilhelm Scherdin was a prominent German architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Stuttgart, including the Neues Schloss, a grand palace that served as the residence of the Dukes of Württemberg.
The Scherdin name also appears in records from the 19th century, such as the writings of Karl Scherdin, a German philosopher and author who explored themes of ethics and morality in his works.
Additionally, in the early 20th century, there was a notable German artist named Max Scherdin, whose paintings and etchings captured the landscapes and everyday life of his native region in southern Germany.
While the surname Scherdin may have originated in a specific region of Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of German families over the centuries. However, its roots can be traced back to the rich history and cultural heritage of southern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scherdin
Among Census respondents with the surname Scherdin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Scherdin 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 Scherdin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scherdin
Scherdin 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
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,531 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 9,531 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 Scherdin 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 | #142,108 | #151,639 | -6.7% |
| Count | 117 | 107 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scherdin bearers went from 117 to 107 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 9,531 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #151,639.
FAQ
Scherdin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scherdin?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Scherdin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Scherdin?
Scherdin 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 Scherdin. 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 Scherdin.
Has Scherdin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scherdin went from 117 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Scherdin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scherdin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Scherdin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scherdin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Scherdin (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 Scherdin mean?
A Germanic surname derived from "scherd" meaning shareholder or participant. 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 Scherdin (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 Scherdin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.