2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schlientz
A German surname derived from a nickname for a person with a peculiar manner of walking or running.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Schlientz. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schlientz 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Schlientz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlientz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schlientz
The surname Schlientz has its origins in Germany, traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Schlund," which means "gorge" or "ravine," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone living near such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schlientz can be found in the town records of Dortmund, dating back to 1583, where a certain Hans Schlientz was mentioned as a local landowner. In the same century, the name also appeared in the church records of the nearby town of Bochum, with a family of Schlientzes residing there.
The Schlientz name has undergone slight variations in spelling over the centuries, with some historical documents referring to the family as Schlientz, Schlintz, or even Schluntz. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and the phonetic transcription of the name by scribes and record-keepers.
Notably, the Schlientz name was associated with the wealthy merchant family of the same name in the city of Hamburg during the 17th century. Johannes Schlientz (1620-1685), a successful trader and ship owner, was a prominent figure in the city's commercial circles and served as a alderman for several years.
In the 18th century, the name gained recognition in the field of academia with the renowned German philosopher and mathematician, Friedrich Schlientz (1738-1809). His contributions to the study of logic and mathematics earned him a place among the intellectual elite of his time.
During the 19th century, the name Schlientz was carried by several notable figures, including the German artist and sculptor, Wilhelm Schlientz (1812-1879), whose works adorned many public buildings and churches throughout Germany. Additionally, Heinrich Schlientz (1856-1923), a prominent industrialist, played a significant role in the development of the steel industry in the Ruhr region.
In more recent times, the Schlientz name has been associated with various fields, from politics to sports. Hans-Jürgen Schlientz (1933-2018) was a German politician and member of the Bundestag, representing the Social Democratic Party of Germany for several terms.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable individuals associated with the surname Schlientz, which has its roots firmly planted in the fertile soil of Germany's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schlientz
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlientz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Schlientz 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 Schlientz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 102
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schlientz
Schlientz 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,352 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,920 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 1,352 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,920 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 Schlientz 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 | #142,108 | #145,028 | -2.1% |
| Count | 117 | 116 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schlientz bearers went from 117 to 116 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,920 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #145,028.
FAQ
Schlientz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schlientz?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Schlientz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Schlientz?
Schlientz ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Schlientz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Schlientz.
Has Schlientz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schlientz went from 117 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Schlientz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlientz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Schlientz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schlientz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Two or More Races (6.0%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Schlientz (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 Schlientz mean?
A German surname derived from a nickname for a person with a peculiar manner of walking or running. 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 Schlientz (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 surname Schlientz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.