Find out how popular the last name Schiller is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Schiller.

Schiller, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Schiller surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schiller in America

Schiller is the 3884th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schiller surname appeared 9,132 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Schiller.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schiller to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Schiller

The surname SCHILLER originated in German-speaking areas of Europe, particularly Germany and Austria, in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "schillen," meaning "to peel" or "to separate," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to an occupation such as a miller, farmer, or someone involved in processing crops.

The name SCHILLER can be traced back to the 13th century, with early records mentioning individuals with this surname living in various parts of Germany. One of the earliest recorded instances is from 1284, when a person named Chunradus Schiller was mentioned in a document from the town of Esslingen in what is now Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the SCHILLER surname became more widespread across German-speaking regions. It appeared in various historical records, including city registers, tax rolls, and guild documents. For example, in 1409, a man named Hanns Schiller was listed as a citizen of Nuremberg, a prominent city in Bavaria.

The SCHILLER name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous is Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805), a German poet, philosopher, and playwright renowned for works such as "The Robbers," "Don Carlos," and "Wilhelm Tell." His literary contributions significantly influenced the development of German literature and culture.

Another prominent figure was Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805), a German historian and writer who served as a professor at the University of Jena. He is best known for his multi-volume work "History of the Thirty Years' War," which became a seminal text on the subject.

In the field of science, Ferdinand Cohn (1828-1898), a German botanist and microbiologist, made significant contributions to the study of bacteria and algae. He is considered a pioneer in modern bacteriology and is credited with discovering several bacterial species.

The surname SCHILLER has also been connected to various place names throughout German-speaking regions. For instance, the town of Schillerslage in Lower Saxony, Germany, likely derived its name from an early settler or landowner with the SCHILLER surname.

While the SCHILLER surname is most commonly associated with Germany and Austria, it has also been found in other parts of Europe and beyond, particularly among descendants of German immigrants. Variations in spelling, such as Schiller, Schyller, and Schillinger, have also been documented over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schiller

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Schiller.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Schiller was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Schiller has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Schiller was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Schiller, please contact us.

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