2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schlim
A surname with German or Low German origin, potentially derived from "schlimm" meaning "bad" or "unfortunate".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Schlim. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schlim 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Schlim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlim, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schlim
The surname SCHLIM has its origins in the Germanic region of central Europe, tracing back to the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "slim," which meant "crooked" or "slanted," potentially referring to a physical characteristic or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Frankish chronicles of the 14th century, where a certain Heinricus Schlim is documented as a landowner in the town of Aachen, located in what is now western Germany. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various administrative records and tax rolls across the German states, with variations in spelling such as "Schlimm," "Schlymm," and "Schlymme." These spellings likely reflected regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.
One notable bearer of the name was Johann Schlim, a prominent theologian and philosopher who lived in the city of Wittenberg from 1492 to 1567. He was known for his writings on the Protestant Reformation and his association with Martin Luther.
Another individual of note was Anna Schlim, born in 1623 in the town of Nuremberg. She gained recognition as a skilled seamstress and tailor, crafting intricate garments for nobility and wealthy merchants throughout the region.
In the 18th century, the name spread beyond the German territories, with records showing a Peter Schlim who emigrated to the Dutch Republic in 1712, establishing himself as a successful merchant in Amsterdam.
The name also found its way to the British Isles, with a certain William Schlim, born in 1787 in London, who served as a captain in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.
As the centuries progressed, the SCHLIM surname continued to appear across various European records, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in fields such as academia, the arts, and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schlim
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlim, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schlim 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 Schlim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schlim
Schlim 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+10 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 437 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-14 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 437 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 13,335 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 Schlim 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 | #138,304 | #151,639 | -9.6% |
| Count | 121 | 107 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schlim bearers went from 121 to 107 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 13,335 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #151,639.
FAQ
Schlim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schlim?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Schlim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Schlim?
Schlim ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Schlim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Schlim.
Has Schlim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schlim went from 121 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Schlim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schlim, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Schlim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schlim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Hispanic (0.9%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Schlim (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 Schlim mean?
A surname with German or Low German origin, potentially derived from "schlimm" meaning "bad" or "unfortunate". 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 Schlim (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 Schlim?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.