2000
#15,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,772
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Schlecht
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "sleht," meaning "bad," "evil," or "crooked."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,777 Americans carry the last name Schlecht. That puts it at #17,781 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 192,884 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schlecht 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
1.8K
1 in 192,884
Census rank
#17,781
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,550 bearers of the surname Schlecht in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17781st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlecht, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schlecht
The surname Schlecht is of German origin, derived from the German word "schlecht" meaning "bad" or "poor." The name likely originated in the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century, as a descriptive nickname given to someone who was perceived as poor, unfortunate, or of low social status.
In medieval Germany, surnames were often based on physical characteristics, occupations, or personal traits. The name Schlecht may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was considered poor or lived in poverty, or to someone who was deemed to have a disagreeable or unpleasant personality.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Schlecht can be found in various German historical records and documents from the 14th and 15th centuries. One notable example is Johannes Schlecht, a German clergyman who lived in the 15th century and served as a canon in the city of Cologne.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the Heidelberg Manuscript from the late 15th century, which mentions a certain Konrad Schlecht, a landowner in the region of Swabia.
In the 16th century, the name Schlecht appeared in various historical records, including tax rolls and church registers. One notable figure from this period was Hans Schlecht, a German painter and engraver who was active in the city of Nuremberg around 1550.
As the name Schlecht spread throughout different regions of Germany, it also underwent several spelling variations, such as Schlect, Schlicht, and Schlicht. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or regional pronunciation differences.
In the 17th century, the name Schlecht can be found in various records from the Holy Roman Empire, including the birth and death records of several individuals bearing this surname. One notable figure from this period was Johann Schlecht, a German composer and organist who lived in the city of Nuremberg from 1618 to 1677.
As the name Schlecht continued to spread and evolve over the centuries, it became associated with various occupations and professions, including farmers, merchants, and artisans. Some notable individuals with the surname Schlecht in more recent history include Johann Schlecht (1793-1857), a German philosopher and theologian, and Franz Schlecht (1873-1952), a German politician and member of the Reichstag.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schlecht
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlecht, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Schlecht 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 Schlecht surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 1,429
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 52
- Two or more races2.5% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 8
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schlecht
Schlecht 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
#14,178
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,118
+346 bearers (+19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 1,066 places
2020
#17,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,550
-568 bearers (-26.8%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 3,603 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,244 | 1,772 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,178 | 2,118 | 0.72 | +346 bearers (+19.5%) | Up 1,066 places |
| 2020 | #17,781 | 1,550 | 0.52 | -568 bearers (-26.8%) | Down 3,603 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 Schlecht 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 | #14,178 | #17,781 | -25.4% |
| Count | 2,118 | 1,550 | -26.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.52 | -28.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schlecht bearers went from 2,118 to 1,550 (-26.8% change). The surname moved down 3,603 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,178 to #17,781.
FAQ
Schlecht surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schlecht?
Name Census estimates that about 1,777 living Americans carry the surname Schlecht. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 192,884 residents.
How common is Schlecht?
Schlecht ranks #17,781 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.52 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 1,550 people with the surname Schlecht. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,777), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.52 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 Schlecht.
Has Schlecht become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schlecht went from 2,118 recorded bearers to 1,550. That is a decrease of 568 (-26.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,178 to #17,781.
What does the Census say about the background of Schlecht?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlecht, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) 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 Schlecht in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (1,429 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schlecht appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.4%), 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 Schlecht (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 Schlecht mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "sleht," meaning "bad," "evil," or "crooked." 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 Schlecht (0.52 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 Americans have the surname Schlecht?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.