2000
#2,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,968
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.92
Uncommon Last name
Schilling
A nickname-derived surname referring to someone with a lively or boisterous temperament, or an occupational name for a wine taster.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,864 Americans carry the last name Schilling. That puts it at #2,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,187 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schilling 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Schilling with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,187
Census rank
#2,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,578 bearers of the surname Schilling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schilling, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schilling
The surname Schilling originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where it was derived from the Old High German word "schilling," which referred to a unit of currency used during that time period.
In its earliest form, the name Schilling was often spelled as "Schillinc" or "Schillink," reflecting the linguistic evolution of the Germanic languages. It first appeared in historical records as an occupational surname, given to individuals involved in minting or handling coins, particularly the shilling currency.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Schilling name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Ecclesiae Ravennatensis, a 10th-century manuscript from the city of Ravenna in Italy, which lists a certain "Peredeo Schillinc" among its entries.
In the 12th century, the name Schilling was documented in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony. This record mentions a "Henricus Schilling" who lived in the region during that time.
Notable individuals with the surname Schilling throughout history include:
1. Friedrich von Schilling (1535-1608), a German military officer and diplomat who served under Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II.
2. Johannes Schilling (1535-1592), a German jurist and legal scholar who wrote extensively on Roman law and legal theory.
3. Johann Schilling (1828-1910), a German-American architect and civil engineer known for his work on the Brooklyn Bridge and other iconic structures in New York City.
4. Curt Schilling (born 1966), a former American professional baseball player and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
5. Rebecca Schilling (born 1973), an American author and entrepreneur known for her work in the field of personal development and self-help literature.
While the Schilling surname is most commonly associated with German-speaking regions, it has also been found in various other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands, where it may have derived from the Dutch word "schelling," which also referred to a type of currency.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schilling
Among Census respondents with the surname Schilling, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Schilling 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 Schilling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 14,268
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 556
- Two or more races3.1% · 486
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 145
- Black or African American0.5% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schilling
Schilling 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
#2,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,546
+578 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 5.61
Rank movement Down 117 places
2020
#2,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,578
-968 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 5.21
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,083 | 15,968 | 5.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,200 | 16,546 | 5.61 | +578 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 117 places |
| 2020 | #2,280 | 15,578 | 5.21 | -968 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 80 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 Schilling 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 | #2,200 | #2,280 | -3.6% |
| Count | 16,546 | 15,578 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 5.61 | 5.21 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schilling bearers went from 16,546 to 15,578 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,200 to #2,280.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Schilling
FAQ
Schilling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schilling?
Name Census estimates that about 17,864 living Americans carry the surname Schilling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,187 residents.
How common is Schilling?
Schilling ranks #2,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,578 people with the surname Schilling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,864), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Schilling.
Has Schilling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schilling went from 16,546 recorded bearers to 15,578. That is a decrease of 968 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,200 to #2,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Schilling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schilling, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Schilling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (14,268 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schilling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Schilling (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 Schilling mean?
A nickname-derived surname referring to someone with a lively or boisterous temperament, or an occupational name for a wine taster. 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 Schilling (5.21 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 are called Schilling?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Schilling at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.