2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Schiering
A German surname originally derived from the word 'schier' meaning 'pure' or 'bright'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Schiering. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schiering 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Schiering in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schiering, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schiering
The surname Schiering is of German origin, originating in the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "scheren," which means "to shear" or "to clip," suggesting that early bearers of this name may have been involved in occupations related to shearing wool or cutting hair.
The name Schiering is most closely associated with the regions of Saxony and Brandenburg in present-day eastern Germany. It is also found in areas of northern Germany, such as Mecklenburg and Pomerania. Early records indicate that variations of the spelling included Schering, Schierung, and Scheringen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Schiering surname can be found in the "Bürgermatrikel" (citizen register) of the city of Leipzig, dating back to the late 15th century. Several Schiering families are listed as residents of the city during this period.
In the 16th century, a notable individual with the surname Schiering was Johann Schiering (1515-1580), a German mathematician and astronomer. He was born in the town of Torgau and made significant contributions to the study of trigonometry and the calculation of planetary movements.
During the 17th century, the Schiering family had a presence in the town of Pritzwalk, located in the Prignitz region of Brandenburg. Historical records from this period mention several Schiering families living in the area and engaged in various occupations, such as farming and trade.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the Schiering surname was Friedrich Schiering (1723-1798), a German theologian and philosopher. He was born in Magdeburg and served as a professor of philosophy at the University of Halle.
Another notable individual from this time period was Johann Gottfried Schiering (1755-1821), a German composer and organist. He was born in Chemnitz, Saxony, and is known for his contributions to church music and compositions for organ.
As the Schiering surname spread across German-speaking regions, it also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the 19th century, records show individuals with the name Schiering residing in areas such as the Netherlands, Denmark, and even as far as the United States, where German immigrants had settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schiering
Among Census respondents with the surname Schiering, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Schiering 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 Schiering surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schiering
Schiering 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-13 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,853 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+8 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,204 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 20,853 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.1%) | Up 5,204 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 Schiering 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 | #147,253 | #142,049 | 3.5% |
| Count | 112 | 120 | 7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schiering bearers went from 112 to 120 (+7.1% change). The surname moved up 5,204 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #142,049.
FAQ
Schiering surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schiering?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Schiering. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Schiering?
Schiering ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Schiering. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Schiering.
Has Schiering become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schiering went from 112 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 8 (+7.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Schiering?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schiering, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) 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 Schiering in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schiering appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (2.5%), 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 Schiering (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 Schiering mean?
A German surname originally derived from the word 'schier' meaning 'pure' or 'bright'. 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 Schiering (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 Schiering?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.