2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schleeper
A surname derived from the German word for a sly or cunning person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Schleeper. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schleeper 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Schleeper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schleeper, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schleeper
The surname Schleeper has its roots in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. This name is believed to have originated from the German word "schleeper," which was an occupational term used to refer to someone who was a maker or seller of slippers. In those times, slippers were an essential item of footwear, and the trade of making them was a respectable profession.
The name Schleeper can be found in various historical documents from German-speaking regions, including church records, tax rolls, and census data. One notable mention is in the Kirchenbücher (church books) of the town of Nürnberg, where a family with the surname Schleeper is recorded as residing in the late 1500s.
As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Schleper, Schlaepper, and Schläpper. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during those times.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Schleeper was Hans Schleeper, who was born in the city of Augsburg in 1612. He was a respected slipper maker and is mentioned in the guild records of the city's shoemakers.
Another notable figure was Johann Schleeper, born in 1745 in the town of Worms. He was a renowned scholar and author, known for his work on the history and culture of the Rhine region.
In the 19th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Gustav Schleeper (1823-1899), a prominent German businessman and industrialist. He founded the Schleeper & Co. textile manufacturing company, which became one of the largest employers in the city of Leipzig.
The name Schleeper can also be found in other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands, where a family by the name of Schleeper settled in the city of Amsterdam in the 17th century. One of their descendants, Willem Schleeper (1782-1856), was a respected merchant and philanthropist.
Another notable individual was Anna Schleeper (1876-1942), a German-American author and educator. She wrote several books on German literature and culture, and taught at various universities in the United States.
While the surname Schleeper may have originated from a humble occupation, it has since been carried by individuals who have contributed significantly to various fields, including business, academia, and literature. The name stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Germany and the enduring legacy of its people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schleeper
Among Census respondents with the surname Schleeper, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schleeper 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 Schleeper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.2% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schleeper
Schleeper 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+24 bearers (+22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,237 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-10 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,439 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +24 bearers (+22.6%) | Up 13,237 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 11,439 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 Schleeper 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 | #130,610 | #142,049 | -8.8% |
| Count | 130 | 120 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schleeper bearers went from 130 to 120 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 11,439 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #142,049.
FAQ
Schleeper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schleeper?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Schleeper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Schleeper?
Schleeper ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Schleeper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Schleeper.
Has Schleeper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schleeper went from 130 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Schleeper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schleeper, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Schleeper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schleeper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Schleeper (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 Schleeper mean?
A surname derived from the German word for a sly or cunning person. 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 Schleeper (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 Schleeper?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Schleeper on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.