2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Schler
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a rocky slope or cliff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Schler. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schler 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Schler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schler
The surname SCHLER is of German origin, believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have its roots in the Old High German word "schelos," which referred to a shed or a small hut, indicating that the name may have been originally associated with individuals who lived in or near such dwellings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SCHLER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Silesia, now part of Poland and the Czech Republic, dating back to the 14th century. This suggests that the name may have originated in or near this area.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the SCHLER surname was Hans Schler, a German painter and engraver active in Nuremberg between 1520 and 1560. His works, primarily religious subjects and portraits, can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.
During the 17th century, the name SCHLER appears in records from various parts of Germany, such as the town of Schleusingen in Thuringia, where a family of landowners and merchants with the surname SCHLER is documented.
In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Schler (1722-1805), a German theologian and philosopher, made significant contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy. His works, including "Über die Gründe und Pflichten der Naturlehre" (On the Foundations and Duties of Natural Philosophy), were influential during the Enlightenment period.
Another notable figure with the SCHLER surname was Friedrich von Schler (1782-1844), a German dramatist and poet known for his plays and lyrical works. His masterpiece, "Die Räuber" (The Robbers), written in 1781, is considered a seminal work of the Sturm und Drang literary movement.
As the name SCHLER spread throughout German-speaking regions, various spelling variations emerged, such as Scheler, Schöler, and Scholer, reflecting local dialects and scribal conventions. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its association with small dwellings or shelters.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schler
Among Census respondents with the surname Schler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schler 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 Schler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 94
- Two or more races6.6% · 7
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schler
Schler 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-28 bearers (-19.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 30,622 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-9 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-19.6%) | Down 30,622 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 8,198 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 Schler 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 | #144,141 | #152,339 | -5.7% |
| Count | 115 | 106 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schler bearers went from 115 to 106 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 8,198 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #152,339.
FAQ
Schler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schler?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Schler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Schler?
Schler ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Schler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Schler.
Has Schler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schler went from 115 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Schler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Schler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (6.6%), Black (1.9%). 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 Schler (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 Schler mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a rocky slope or cliff. 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 Schler (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 Schler?
See how many people are called Schler on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.