2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schleiden
A surname of German origin derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Schleiden. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schleiden 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Schleiden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schleiden, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schleiden
The surname SCHLEIDEN is of German origin, originating in the Middle Ages. Its roots can be traced back to the region of North Rhine-Westphalia, where it is believed to have derived from a place name referring to a settlement or village called "Schleiden." The name itself likely stems from the Old German word "scleid," which means "to divide" or "to separate," potentially alluding to the division or partition of land or property.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the SCHLEIDEN name can be found in historical documents from the 13th century, where it appears in connection with landowners or prominent families from the Schleiden area. During this time, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as "Schleidener" or "Schleyder," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in written records.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the SCHLEIDEN name gained prominence as members of the family held influential positions in local governance, trade, and academic circles. Notably, Matthias Schleiden, a renowned 19th-century botanist and co-founder of the cell theory, was born in Hamburg in 1804 and left a lasting impact on the field of plant anatomy and physiology.
Another notable figure bearing the SCHLEIDEN name was Johann Schleiden, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived in the 16th century. He served as a professor of law at the University of Heidelberg and authored several influential works on civil and criminal law during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Schleiden, a notable architect and urban planner, was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and public spaces in cities across Germany. His influence on the architectural landscape of his time is still visible in many historic districts.
The SCHLEIDEN name also has connections to the world of arts and literature. Anna Schleiden, born in 1842, was a celebrated German novelist and playwright whose works often explored themes of social commentary and women's rights. Her novels and plays were widely acclaimed and performed during her lifetime.
As the SCHLEIDEN family dispersed across various regions of Germany and beyond, the name continued to appear in historical records, municipal documents, and academic circles, reflecting the diverse pursuits and accomplishments of its bearers throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schleiden
Among Census respondents with the surname Schleiden, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schleiden 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 Schleiden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 111
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schleiden
Schleiden 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,607 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,638 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,607 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 3,638 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 Schleiden 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 | #149,395 | #145,757 | 2.4% |
| Count | 110 | 115 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schleiden bearers went from 110 to 115 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 3,638 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #145,757.
FAQ
Schleiden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schleiden?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Schleiden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Schleiden?
Schleiden ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Schleiden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Schleiden.
Has Schleiden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schleiden went from 110 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Schleiden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schleiden, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Schleiden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schleiden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Schleiden (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 Schleiden mean?
A surname of German origin derived from a place name. 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 Schleiden (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 common is the surname Schleiden?
You can see how common the surname Schleiden is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.