2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schleusener
A German surname derived from the occupational term for a lockkeeper or canal worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Schleusener. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schleusener 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Schleusener in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schleusener, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schleusener
The surname Schleusener is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the regions of Saxony and Thuringia in central Germany during the late medieval period. The name is derived from the German word "Schleuse," meaning "sluice" or "lock," which refers to a gate used to control the flow of water in a canal or river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Schleusener name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dating back to the 14th century. This suggests that the name may have originated among families involved in the construction and maintenance of waterways or employed in occupations related to water management.
The Schleusener name can also be found in various regional records and manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Saxony and Thuringia. These documents often provide insights into the lives and occupations of individuals bearing this surname.
Notable individuals with the Schleusener surname include Johann Christoph Schleusener (1665-1737), a German theologian and linguist who taught at the University of Wittenberg. Another prominent figure was Carl Friedrich Schleusener (1786-1859), a German architect and civil engineer known for his work on canal systems and hydraulic structures.
In the 19th century, Johannes Schleusener (1810-1892) was a German painter and illustrator who specialized in genre scenes and landscapes. His works are housed in various museums and collections across Germany.
The Schleusener name also appears in connection with early settlements and place names in Saxony and Thuringia. For example, the village of Schleusenau (literally translating to "Sluice Meadow") in the Vogtland region of Saxony is believed to have derived its name from its association with a nearby water control system or sluice gate.
Another notable figure bearing this surname was Gottfried Schleusener (1871-1957), a German politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) during the Weimar Republic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schleusener
Among Census respondents with the surname Schleusener, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Schleusener 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 Schleusener surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schleusener
Schleusener 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+20 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,343 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-15 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,294 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +20 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 8,343 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 15,294 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 Schleusener 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 | #127,494 | #142,788 | -12.0% |
| Count | 134 | 119 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schleusener bearers went from 134 to 119 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 15,294 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #142,788.
FAQ
Schleusener surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schleusener?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Schleusener. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Schleusener?
Schleusener ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Schleusener. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Schleusener.
Has Schleusener become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schleusener went from 134 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Schleusener?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schleusener, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Schleusener in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schleusener appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Schleusener (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 Schleusener mean?
A German surname derived from the occupational term for a lockkeeper or canal worker. 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 Schleusener (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 Schleusener?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Schleusener on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.