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

Schlesinger, 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 Schlesinger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schlesinger in America

Schlesinger is the 8398th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schlesinger surname appeared 3,940 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 Schlesinger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schlesinger 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 Schlesinger

The surname Schlesinger originated in the German states, particularly in areas like Silesia, Bavaria, and Saxony. It is derived from the Old German word "Slesje," meaning a person from Silesia, and the suffix "-inger," indicating a place of origin or residence.

The earliest known record of the Schlesinger name dates back to the 13th century. In 1274, a document from the city of Nuremberg mentioned a certain "Henricus Slesinger." Later records from the 14th and 15th centuries include references to individuals with variations of the name, such as "Slesinger," "Schlessinger," and "Schlesinger."

One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Johann Schlesinger (1768-1840), a German astronomer and mathematician. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.

Another prominent Schlesinger was Max Schlesinger (1865-1923), a German theoretical physicist and mathematician. He is best known for his work on the foundations of electromagnetism and his contributions to the development of the theory of relativity.

In the realm of music, Walter Schlesinger (1908-1984) was a renowned Austrian-American pianist and music educator. He taught at the University of Southern California and served as the director of the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts.

The Schlesinger name can also be found in the literary world. Arthur Meier Schlesinger (1888-1965) was an American historian and writer, known for his works on the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal era.

Lastly, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (1917-2007), the son of Arthur Meier Schlesinger, was a prominent American historian and social critic. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his biography of President Andrew Jackson and served as a special assistant to President John F. Kennedy.

While the Schlesinger surname has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. The name has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields, including science, academia, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schlesinger

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

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

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

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