2000
#13,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,036
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Schiltz
From the Germanic elements "schi" meaning shield and "waliz" meaning foreigner, the name referred to a shield-maker for foreign soldiers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,518 Americans carry the last name Schiltz. That puts it at #13,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,122 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schiltz 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
2.5K
1 in 136,122
Census rank
#13,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,196 bearers of the surname Schiltz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schiltz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schiltz
The surname Schiltz has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic words "schild," meaning shield, and "heiz" or "hiz," referring to a person's nickname or occupation. Thus, the name Schiltz likely referred to a shield maker or someone who carried a shield.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schiltz can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Westphalia, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. Here, the name is spelled "Schiltz" or "Schiltze," indicating its early origins and variations in spelling.
In the 14th century, the name Schiltz appeared in various municipal records and legal documents across German territories, particularly in the regions of Saxony, Bavaria, and Hesse. These records often listed individuals with the surname in connection with trades, occupations, or properties.
During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Schiltz was Johann Schiltz, a German scholar and theologian born in 1532 in the city of Nuremberg. He was known for his writings on religious topics and his contributions to the Protestant Reformation.
Another prominent individual with the surname Schiltz was Hans Schiltz, a German painter and engraver who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works, primarily religious paintings and engravings, can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.
In the 18th century, a significant figure with the surname Schiltz was Johann Schiltz, a German composer and organist born in 1753 in the city of Mainz. He composed numerous works for the organ and sacred choral music, which were widely performed and appreciated during his lifetime.
The name Schiltz also has connections to various place names in Germany, such as Schiltach, a town in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg, and Schiltzberg, a hill located near the city of Kassel in Hesse. These place names may have influenced the spelling and variations of the surname over time.
Throughout history, the surname Schiltz has been borne by numerous individuals across various professions and backgrounds, including artisans, scholars, artists, and musicians, reflecting its long-standing presence in German culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schiltz
Among Census respondents with the surname Schiltz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Schiltz 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 Schiltz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 2,055
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 69
- Two or more races2.4% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schiltz
Schiltz 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
#16,376
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,758
-278 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 2,711 places
2020
#13,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,196
+438 bearers (+24.9%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 3,076 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,665 | 2,036 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,376 | 1,758 | 0.60 | -278 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 2,711 places |
| 2020 | #13,300 | 2,196 | 0.73 | +438 bearers (+24.9%) | Up 3,076 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 Schiltz 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 | #16,376 | #13,300 | 18.8% |
| Count | 1,758 | 2,196 | 24.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.73 | 22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schiltz bearers went from 1,758 to 2,196 (+24.9% change). The surname moved up 3,076 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,376 to #13,300.
FAQ
Schiltz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schiltz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,518 living Americans carry the surname Schiltz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,122 residents.
How common is Schiltz?
Schiltz ranks #13,300 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,196 people with the surname Schiltz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,518), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Schiltz.
Has Schiltz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schiltz went from 1,758 recorded bearers to 2,196. That is an increase of 438 (+24.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,376 to #13,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Schiltz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schiltz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Schiltz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (2,055 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schiltz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Schiltz (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 Schiltz mean?
From the Germanic elements "schi" meaning shield and "waliz" meaning foreigner, the name referred to a shield-maker for foreign soldiers. 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 Schiltz (0.73 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 Schiltz?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Schiltz is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.