2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schlerf
A surname of German origin indicating an individual of slender or slim stature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Schlerf. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schlerf 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Schlerf in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlerf, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schlerf
The surname Schlerf has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire during that time period.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Schlerf can be found in a medieval manuscript from the 13th century, where it was recorded as "Schlirff". This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been derived from an Old German word related to a particular occupation or physical characteristic.
In the 15th century, records show the name appearing in various forms such as "Schlerfius" and "Schlierff" in the town of Nuremberg, which was a major center of trade and commerce in the region. This could indicate that the Schlerf family may have been involved in some form of skilled trade or craftsmanship during that era.
The first known person to bear the name Schlerf was Hans Schlerf, a blacksmith who lived in the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in several local records from that time period.
Another notable individual with the surname Schlerf was Johann Schlerf, a renowned painter and artist who lived in the city of Augsburg during the 16th century (born around 1505, died in 1570). His works can still be found in various museums and galleries across Europe.
In the 17th century, the name Schlerf appeared in the records of the city of Regensburg, where a family of that name owned a successful brewery. One of the members of this family, Georg Schlerf (1620-1687), was a respected businessman and served on the city council for several years.
During the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Schlerf was Friedrich Schlerf (1745-1815), a philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Göttingen. He was known for his work on ethics and moral philosophy.
By the 19th century, the name Schlerf had spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland. One example is the Swiss painter and artist Ernst Schlerf (1824-1899), who was renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the Swiss Alps.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schlerf
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlerf, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Schlerf 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 Schlerf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schlerf
Schlerf 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+7 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,412 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 2,412 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Schlerf 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 | #136,449 | #142,049 | -4.1% |
| Count | 123 | 120 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schlerf bearers went from 123 to 120 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #142,049.
FAQ
Schlerf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schlerf?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Schlerf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Schlerf?
Schlerf ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Schlerf. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Schlerf.
Has Schlerf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schlerf went from 123 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Schlerf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlerf, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Schlerf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schlerf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Schlerf (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 Schlerf mean?
A surname of German origin indicating an individual of slender or slim stature. 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 Schlerf (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 Schlerf?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Schlerf, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.