2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Schere
A German surname referring to someone who made scissors or shears.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Schere. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schere 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Schere in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schere, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schere
The surname Schere is of German origin, originating in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "scher" or "schar," meaning "cut" or "shear." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a shearer or cutter, possibly in the textile or wool trade.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany. One notable example is found in the records of the city of Cologne, where a certain "Henricus Scherre" is mentioned in a document dated 1372.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a "Hans Scherer" is listed as a resident in 1457. This spelling variation, "Scherer," was common in certain regions and likely had the same meaning as "Schere."
The name is also found in the Berner Schreibkalender, a historical manuscript from the city of Bern, Switzerland, which includes entries for individuals named "Schere" in the late 15th century.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Johannes Schere, a German scholar and humanist who lived from approximately 1425 to 1504. He was known for his work as a teacher and his contributions to the study of classical literature.
Another notable figure was Hans Schere, a German artist and engraver who was active in the early 16th century. His intricate engravings, depicting religious and allegorical scenes, are considered important examples of Renaissance art.
In the 17th century, the name is associated with Johann Schere, a German composer and organist who lived from 1629 to 1683. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of the Lutheran church music tradition.
The name also has connections to various place names in Germany, such as Scheren, a village in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and Scherenberg, a town in the state of Hesse.
Throughout the centuries, the Schere name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, artists, and musicians. While its origins may lie in the occupation of shearing or cutting, the name has evolved to represent a rich cultural heritage and a long-standing presence in German history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schere
Among Census respondents with the surname Schere, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schere 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 Schere surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schere
Schere 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-15 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,810 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,795 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 20,810 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 9,795 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 Schere 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 | #141,140 | #150,935 | -6.9% |
| Count | 118 | 108 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schere bearers went from 118 to 108 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 9,795 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #150,935.
FAQ
Schere surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schere?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Schere. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Schere?
Schere ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Schere. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Schere.
Has Schere become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schere went from 118 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Schere?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schere, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Schere in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schere appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (5.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Schere (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 Schere mean?
A German surname referring to someone who made scissors or shears. 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 Schere (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 people share the surname Schere?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.