2000
#12,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,305
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Scherr
An occupational surname of German origin referring to someone who earns a living by shearing sheep or cutting cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,434 Americans carry the last name Scherr. That puts it at #13,668 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,819 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scherr 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
2.4K
1 in 140,819
Census rank
#13,668
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,123 bearers of the surname Scherr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13668th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scherr, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scherr
The surname "SCHERR" is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was derived from the German word "Schirr," which means "vessel" or "utensil." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with individuals involved in the production or trade of pottery, ceramics, or other household items.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SCHERR" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Schirre" and "Schirrer," indicating its evolution over time.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Johannes Scherr was documented as a scholar and theologian at the University of Leipzig. He authored several treatises on religious matters and played a significant role in shaping the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the Renaissance period, the name "SCHERR" gained further prominence with the birth of Michael Scherr (1538-1617), a German painter and engraver renowned for his intricate woodcuts and engravings depicting religious and mythological themes.
In the 18th century, Johann Baptist von Scherr (1725-1789) was a notable Bavarian statesman and diplomat who served as the Ambassador of the Electorate of Bavaria to the Holy Roman Empire. His contributions to diplomacy and political affairs were widely recognized during his lifetime.
The 19th century saw the birth of Johannes Scherr (1817-1886), a German writer, historian, and literary critic. He authored numerous works on German literature, culture, and history, including his influential book "Allgemeine Geschichte der Literatur" (General History of Literature), published in 1851.
Throughout its long history, the surname "SCHERR" has been associated with various professions, including artisans, scholars, artists, and statesmen. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name has persisted and evolved, carrying with it a rich heritage and a connection to the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scherr
Among Census respondents with the surname Scherr, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Scherr 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 Scherr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 1,984
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 57
- Two or more races2.5% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scherr
Scherr 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
#11,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,609
+304 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 389 places
2020
#13,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,123
-486 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 1,697 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,360 | 2,305 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,971 | 2,609 | 0.88 | +304 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 389 places |
| 2020 | #13,668 | 2,123 | 0.71 | -486 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 1,697 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 Scherr 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 | #11,971 | #13,668 | -14.2% |
| Count | 2,609 | 2,123 | -18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.71 | -19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scherr bearers went from 2,609 to 2,123 (-18.6% change). The surname moved down 1,697 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,971 to #13,668.
FAQ
Scherr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scherr?
Name Census estimates that about 2,434 living Americans carry the surname Scherr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,819 residents.
How common is Scherr?
Scherr ranks #13,668 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,123 people with the surname Scherr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,434), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Scherr.
Has Scherr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scherr went from 2,609 recorded bearers to 2,123. That is a decrease of 486 (-18.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,971 to #13,668.
What does the Census say about the background of Scherr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scherr, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Scherr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (1,984 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scherr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Scherr (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 Scherr mean?
An occupational surname of German origin referring to someone who earns a living by shearing sheep or cutting cloth. 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 Scherr (0.71 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 have the last name Scherr?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Scherr, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.