Find out how popular the last name Schlei is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Schlei.

Schlei, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Schlei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schlei in America

Schlei is the 88336th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schlei surname appeared 210 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Schlei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schlei to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Schlei

The surname SCHLEI is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Schlei," which refers to a narrow inlet or bay, particularly in the northern regions of Germany near the Baltic Sea.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SCHLEI surname can be found in the town of Schleswig, located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. This region was known for its numerous inlets and bays, which may have contributed to the development of the surname.

Historical records suggest that the SCHLEI surname was commonly associated with individuals who lived near or worked in proximity to these inlets or bays. It is possible that the name was originally an occupational surname, referring to individuals involved in fishing, boating, or other maritime activities in these coastal regions.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the SCHLEI surname was Hans Schlei, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of Lübeck, a major trading hub in northern Germany. Records from this period indicate that he was involved in the lucrative Baltic Sea trade routes.

Another notable individual with the SCHLEI surname was Johann Schlei, who lived in the 16th century and was a prominent Lutheran theologian and scholar. He was born in the town of Flensburg, which is situated on the Flensburg Firth, a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea.

In the 18th century, a prominent military figure named Friedrich Wilhelm von Schlei served as a general in the Prussian army during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). He was born in 1720 and played a significant role in several battles during this conflict.

The SCHLEI surname can also be found in historical records from other regions of Germany, such as Saxony and Bavaria, indicating that the name may have spread beyond its original northern coastal origins over time.

Another notable individual with the SCHLEI surname was Carl Schlei, a German-American architect who was born in 1858 in Hanover, Germany, and later immigrated to the United States. He designed several notable buildings in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schlei

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Schlei.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Schlei was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Schlei has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Schlei was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Schlei, please contact us.

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