2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schoellman
A German surname derived from a place name or an occupational name for a master craftsman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Schoellman. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schoellman 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Schoellman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schoellman
The surname Schoellman is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "schoeller," which referred to a type of boat or barge used for transporting goods along rivers and canals. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, referring to an individual who worked as a boatman or barge operator.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schoellman can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Bavaria, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a certain Hans Schoellman, a boatman who transported goods along the Pegnitz River in the year 1376.
In the 15th century, the Schoellman name appeared in the records of the city of Augsburg, where a family of boatmen and river traders bore this surname. One notable member of this family was Konrad Schoellman, who was recorded as a respected merchant and boatman in the year 1463.
As the name spread throughout Germany, variations in spelling began to appear, such as Schöllmann, Schöllman, and Schollmann. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciation patterns.
One of the earliest known references to the Schoellman name outside of Germany can be found in the records of the Dutch East India Company. In the 17th century, a German-born sailor named Joachim Schoellman served as a navigator on several voyages to the East Indies.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the Schoellman surname. Among them was Johann Schoellman (1682-1758), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg. Another was Friedrich Schoellman (1799-1876), a German historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of the Thirty Years' War.
In the 19th century, the name gained prominence in the United States with the arrival of German immigrants. One notable figure was Charles Schoellman (1832-1912), a German-born businessman and civic leader who founded the Schoellman Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Other individuals of note include Hans Schoellman (1901-1982), a German-born architect who designed several iconic buildings in Los Angeles, California, and Gerhard Schoellman (1923-2003), a German-American scientist and pioneer in the field of nuclear physics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schoellman
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Schoellman 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 Schoellman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schoellman
Schoellman 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-2 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,731 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 12,731 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 6,220 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 Schoellman 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 | #160,975 | #154,755 | 3.9% |
| Count | 100 | 102 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schoellman bearers went from 100 to 102 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 6,220 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #154,755.
FAQ
Schoellman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schoellman?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Schoellman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Schoellman?
Schoellman ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Schoellman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Schoellman.
Has Schoellman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schoellman went from 100 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Schoellman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Schoellman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schoellman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Schoellman (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 Schoellman mean?
A German surname derived from a place name or an occupational name for a master craftsman. 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 Schoellman (0.03 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 Schoellman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.