2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schlanser
A surname derived from the German word "schlank," meaning slender or slim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Schlanser. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schlanser 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Schlanser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlanser, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schlanser
The surname Schlanser has its origins in Germany, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Schlange," which means "snake" or "serpent." The name may have been bestowed upon someone who lived near a place with serpents or who worked with snakes, suggesting a connection to reptiles or serpent symbols.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schlanser can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Rottweil in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, from the year 1589. These records mention a family with the surname Schlanser residing in the area.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including tax records and land deeds, in regions such as Bavaria and Saxony. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of Germany during this period.
Notable individuals with the surname Schlanser include Johann Schlanser (1621-1687), a renowned woodcarver from the town of Oberammergau in Bavaria. His intricate woodcarvings adorned many churches and buildings in the region, and his work is still celebrated today.
Another prominent figure was Katharina Schlanser (1748-1823), a philanthropist from the city of Dresden in Saxony. She established a charitable foundation that provided education and support for underprivileged children, leaving a lasting legacy in the community.
In the 19th century, the Schlanser name gained further recognition with the birth of Friedrich Schlanser (1842-1912), a respected philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Heidelberg. His writings on ethics and moral philosophy were widely studied and influenced many scholars of his time.
The name Schlanser can also be found in historical records from the neighboring countries of Austria and Switzerland, suggesting that the family had migrated or established branches in these regions over time.
One notable example is Hans Schlanser (1879-1961), a Swiss architect who was instrumental in the design and construction of several iconic buildings in the city of Zurich, including the Swiss National Museum and the Kunsthaus Zürich art museum.
While the surname Schlanser may not be as common today, it carries a rich historical legacy and has been associated with various professions, from artisans and philanthropists to academics and architects, across several centuries in Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schlanser
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlanser, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schlanser 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 Schlanser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 97
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schlanser
Schlanser appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 3,245 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 Schlanser 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 | #146,201 | #149,446 | -2.2% |
| Count | 113 | 110 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schlanser bearers went from 113 to 110 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 3,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #149,446.
FAQ
Schlanser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schlanser?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Schlanser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Schlanser?
Schlanser ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Schlanser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Schlanser.
Has Schlanser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schlanser went from 113 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Schlanser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlanser, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Schlanser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schlanser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Two or More Races (6.4%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Schlanser (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 Schlanser mean?
A surname derived from the German word "schlank," meaning slender or slim. 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 Schlanser (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 have the last name Schlanser?
Find out how common the surname Schlanser is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.