2000
#12,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,213
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Schmalz
A German occupational surname referring to a person who rendered animal fat or lard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,399 Americans carry the last name Schmalz. That puts it at #13,835 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,874 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schmalz 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
2.4K
1 in 142,874
Census rank
#13,835
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,092 bearers of the surname Schmalz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13835th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmalz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schmalz
The surname Schmalz has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "smalz," meaning "melted animal fat" or "lard." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the production or trade of animal fats, which were widely used for cooking and lighting purposes during that era.
The earliest recorded instances of the Schmalz surname can be found in various German historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the name appears in the tax records of the city of Nuremberg in 1285, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in the region.
Over time, the Schmalz surname spread to various parts of Germany, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Schmaltz, Schmalze, and Schmaltze. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices of the time.
One notable historical figure associated with this surname was Johannes Schmalz, a German theologian and Protestant reformer who lived from 1482 to 1525. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Reformation movement.
Another prominent individual was Balthasar Schmalz, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1531 to 1592. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can be found in churches and museums throughout Germany.
In the 17th century, Johann Schmalz (1612-1678) was a renowned German composer and organist. He served as the court Kapellmeister to the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels and is credited with contributing to the development of the German Baroque style of music.
Moving into the 19th century, Carl Schmalz (1811-1889) was a German architect and urban planner. He designed several notable buildings in Berlin and played a significant role in the city's urban development during the Industrial Revolution.
Finally, Franz Schmalz (1900-1978) was a German politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, from 1949 to 1969. He was a prominent figure in the Social Democratic Party of Germany and advocated for workers' rights and social welfare policies.
While the Schmalz surname may have originated from a humble occupation, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including theologians, artists, musicians, architects, and politicians, contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of Germany and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schmalz
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmalz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schmalz 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 Schmalz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 1,968
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 71
- Two or more races1.6% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
- Black or African American0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schmalz
Schmalz 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
#14,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,151
-62 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 1,221 places
2020
#13,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,092
-59 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,783 | 2,213 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,004 | 2,151 | 0.73 | -62 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,221 places |
| 2020 | #13,835 | 2,092 | 0.70 | -59 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 169 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 Schmalz 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 | #14,004 | #13,835 | 1.2% |
| Count | 2,151 | 2,092 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.70 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schmalz bearers went from 2,151 to 2,092 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,004 to #13,835.
FAQ
Schmalz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schmalz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,399 living Americans carry the surname Schmalz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,874 residents.
How common is Schmalz?
Schmalz ranks #13,835 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,092 people with the surname Schmalz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,399), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Schmalz.
Has Schmalz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schmalz went from 2,151 recorded bearers to 2,092. That is a decrease of 59 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,004 to #13,835.
What does the Census say about the background of Schmalz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmalz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Schmalz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (1,968 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schmalz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Schmalz (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 Schmalz mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a person who rendered animal fat or lard. 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 Schmalz (0.70 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 share the surname Schmalz?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.