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

Schlenker, 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 Schlenker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schlenker in America

Schlenker is the 11296th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schlenker surname appeared 2,796 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Schlenker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schlenker 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 Schlenker

The surname SCHLENKER has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "schlenker," which means "one who sways or staggers." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with an unsteady gait or a tendency to stagger.

The earliest known records of the SCHLENKER name date back to the 13th century, where it appears in various historical documents and manuscripts from various regions of Germany. One notable example is the mention of a Henricus Schlenker in a land registry from the town of Freiburg in 1287.

In the following centuries, the SCHLENKER name spread across different parts of Germany, with variations in spelling emerging over time. Some of these variations include Schlenkert, Schlenkher, and Schlenger. These variations often reflected regional dialect differences or the preferences of local scribes.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the SCHLENKER surname was Johannes Schlenker, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century (born around 1450, died in 1518). Another notable figure was Hans Schlencker, a Protestant reformer and theologian who lived in Saxony during the 16th century (born in 1495, died in 1568).

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the SCHLENKER name appeared in various records and documents across German-speaking regions. For example, a Johann Schlencker was mentioned as a landowner in a registry from the town of Büdingen in Hesse in 1672. Additionally, a Christoph Schlenker served as a town councilor in the city of Augsburg in the early 18th century (born in 1685, died in 1751).

Another notable figure with the SCHLENKER surname was Johann Friedrich Schlenker, a German composer and organist who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries (born in 1759, died in 1831). He is known for his contributions to church music and his work as a teacher in various cities across Germany.

As the centuries progressed, the SCHLENKER name continued to be found in various parts of Germany, as well as in other German-speaking regions of Europe. While the surname was originally concentrated in specific areas, it gradually spread and became more widely dispersed due to migration and population movements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schlenker

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

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 Schlenker 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 Schlenker 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 Schlenker was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!