2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Schlehlein
A surname of German origin meaning "small rocky or stony place".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Schlehlein. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schlehlein 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Schlehlein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlehlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schlehlein
The surname Schlehlein is of German origin, originating in the southern regions of Germany during the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "sleheln," which means "to trail" or "to drag," possibly referring to a characteristic or occupation of the original bearer of the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schlehlein can be found in the town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria, dating back to the 15th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Schlehelein, Schlehlein, and Schlehlin, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in orthography at the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Schlehlein (born circa 1490) was recorded as a prominent merchant and member of the town council in Augsburg, a wealthy trading city in southern Germany. His legacy is documented in the city's archives, providing insight into the lives of prominent citizens during the Renaissance era.
Another historical figure bearing the Schlehlein surname was Johann Schlehlein (1592-1667), a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Nuremberg. His writings and sermons from the 17th century provide a glimpse into the religious and intellectual climate of the time, particularly during the Thirty Years' War.
Moving into the 18th century, a record from the town of Bamberg mentions a certain Katharina Schlehlein (born 1712), who was a respected midwife and herbalist in the local community. Her contributions to maternal healthcare and traditional medicine were documented in the town's records, reflecting the important roles women played in society during that period.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Friedrich Schlehlein (1820-1892), a German-American artist and lithographer who immigrated to the United States in the mid-1800s. His works, primarily landscapes and portraits, were exhibited in several galleries and are now preserved in various museum collections, providing a window into the artistic styles and techniques of the time.
Throughout its history, the surname Schlehlein has been associated with various professions and social classes, from merchants and craftsmen to religious figures and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schlehlein
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlehlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Schlehlein 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 Schlehlein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 90
- Two or more races6.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schlehlein
Schlehlein 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
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-2 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,706 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 4,706 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 Schlehlein 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 | #160,975 | #156,269 | 2.9% |
| Count | 100 | 98 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schlehlein bearers went from 100 to 98 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,706 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #156,269.
FAQ
Schlehlein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schlehlein?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Schlehlein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Schlehlein?
Schlehlein ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Schlehlein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Schlehlein.
Has Schlehlein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schlehlein went from 100 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 2 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Schlehlein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlehlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Schlehlein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schlehlein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (6.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Schlehlein (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 Schlehlein mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "small rocky or stony place". 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 Schlehlein (0.03 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 Schlehlein?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Schlehlein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.