2000
#46,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 430
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Schlechter
A German surname meaning "worse" or "inferior".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 517 Americans carry the last name Schlechter. That puts it at #50,158 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 662,968 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schlechter 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
517
1 in 662,968
Census rank
#50,158
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
451
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 451 bearers of the surname Schlechter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50158th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlechter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schlechter
The surname "SCHLECHTER" is of German origin, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "schlecht," which means "bad" or "poor." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered to be of low social status or poor in character.
The earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in various medieval German records and documents, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae and the Monumenta Germaniae Historica. These records often mention individuals with the surname "SCHLECHTER" residing in various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Bavaria, and the Rhineland.
In the 14th century, a notable person with this surname was Johann SCHLECHTER, a merchant from Nuremberg who was involved in the lucrative trade routes between Germany and Italy. His name appears in several commercial records and contracts from that time period.
During the 16th century, the name "SCHLECHTER" was also associated with the Protestant Reformation movement in Germany. One prominent figure was Martin SCHLECHTER, a Protestant theologian and reformer who was born in Strasbourg in 1522 and played a significant role in spreading the teachings of Martin Luther.
In the 17th century, a family of nobles bearing the name "SCHLECHTER" emerged in the region of Saxony. They owned significant land and properties, and some members of the family held important positions in the local government and administration.
Another noteworthy individual with this surname was Johann Friedrich SCHLECHTER, a German composer and organist who lived from 1737 to 1810. He is known for his contributions to the development of church music during the late Baroque and early Classical periods.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname "SCHLECHTER" continued to be found in various regions of Germany, as well as in areas where German immigrants settled, such as parts of Eastern Europe and the Americas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schlechter
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlechter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schlechter 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 Schlechter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 419
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 16
- Two or more races1.6% · 7
- Black or African American1.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schlechter
Schlechter 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
#44,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 482
+52 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 2,038 places
2020
#50,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 451
-31 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 5,582 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,614 | 430 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,576 | 482 | 0.16 | +52 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 2,038 places |
| 2020 | #50,158 | 451 | 0.15 | -31 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 5,582 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 Schlechter 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 | #44,576 | #50,158 | -12.5% |
| Count | 482 | 451 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.15 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schlechter bearers went from 482 to 451 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 5,582 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,576 to #50,158.
FAQ
Schlechter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schlechter?
Name Census estimates that about 517 living Americans carry the surname Schlechter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 662,968 residents.
How common is Schlechter?
Schlechter ranks #50,158 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 451 people with the surname Schlechter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (517), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Schlechter.
Has Schlechter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schlechter went from 482 recorded bearers to 451. That is a decrease of 31 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #44,576 to #50,158.
What does the Census say about the background of Schlechter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlechter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Schlechter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (419 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schlechter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Schlechter (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 Schlechter mean?
A German surname meaning "worse" or "inferior". 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 Schlechter (0.15 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 common is the surname Schlechter?
Find out how many people have the last name Schlechter on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.