2000
#13,415
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,082
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Scherrer
An occupational surname referring to a shearer or wool cutter, derived from the German word "scherer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,212 Americans carry the last name Scherrer. That puts it at #14,772 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,952 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scherrer 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
2.2K
1 in 154,952
Census rank
#14,772
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,929 bearers of the surname Scherrer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14772nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scherrer, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scherrer
The surname Scherrer is believed to have originated in Switzerland, particularly in the German-speaking regions of the country. It likely dates back to the late medieval or early modern period, around the 14th to 16th centuries.
The name Scherrer is thought to have derived from the German word "Scherer," which means "shearer" or "one who cuts cloth or fabric." This occupation was common in the textile industry, which was a significant economic activity in parts of Switzerland during that time.
One of the earliest known references to the Scherrer name can be found in the records of the city of Zürich, Switzerland, where a family with this surname was mentioned in the 15th century. The name also appears in various historical documents from other regions of Switzerland, such as Bern and Basel.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Scherrer was Hans Scherrer, a Swiss painter and engraver who was active in the city of Lucerne. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings, some of which can still be found in Swiss churches and museums.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Johann Scherrer (1542-1607), a Swiss theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland. He was a professor at the University of Heidelberg and authored several theological works.
In the 18th century, a Swiss military officer named Johann Scherrer (1724-1789) gained recognition for his service in the French army during the Seven Years' War. He rose to the rank of lieutenant general and was awarded the Order of Saint Louis by the French King Louis XV.
The Scherrer surname can also be found in various placenames in Switzerland, such as Scherrersmatt and Scherrersmühle, which suggest that families with this name had settled in those areas.
Another notable figure with the Scherrer surname was the Swiss painter and printmaker Cuno Amiet (1868-1961), whose full name was Cuno Amiet Scherrer. He was a prominent member of the avant-garde Brücke group of artists and is known for his vibrant, Expressionist-style paintings.
Overall, the surname Scherrer has a rich history rooted in Switzerland, particularly in the textile industry and various professions, and has been associated with notable individuals in the arts, religion, and military over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scherrer
Among Census respondents with the surname Scherrer, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Scherrer 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 Scherrer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 1,719
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 115
- Two or more races3.4% · 65
- Black or African American0.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scherrer
Scherrer 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
#10,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,112
+1,030 bearers (+49.5%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 3,063 places
2020
#14,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,929
-1,183 bearers (-38.0%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 4,420 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,415 | 2,082 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,352 | 3,112 | 1.05 | +1,030 bearers (+49.5%) | Up 3,063 places |
| 2020 | #14,772 | 1,929 | 0.65 | -1,183 bearers (-38.0%) | Down 4,420 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 Scherrer 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 | #10,352 | #14,772 | -42.7% |
| Count | 3,112 | 1,929 | -38.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 0.65 | -38.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scherrer bearers went from 3,112 to 1,929 (-38.0% change). The surname moved down 4,420 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,352 to #14,772.
FAQ
Scherrer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scherrer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,212 living Americans carry the surname Scherrer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,952 residents.
How common is Scherrer?
Scherrer ranks #14,772 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,929 people with the surname Scherrer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,212), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Scherrer.
Has Scherrer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scherrer went from 3,112 recorded bearers to 1,929. That is a decrease of 1,183 (-38.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,352 to #14,772.
What does the Census say about the background of Scherrer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scherrer, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Scherrer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (1,719 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scherrer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (6.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Scherrer (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 Scherrer mean?
An occupational surname referring to a shearer or wool cutter, derived from the German word "scherer." 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 Scherrer (0.65 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 surname Scherrer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.