2000
#12,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Schooler
An occupational surname for a teacher or someone who worked in a school.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,355 Americans carry the last name Schooler. That puts it at #14,048 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,543 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schooler 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 145,543
Census rank
#14,048
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,054 bearers of the surname Schooler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14048th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schooler, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schooler
The surname Schooler is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria, around the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "Schuler," which means "scholar" or "student." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who was associated with a school or educational institution, either as a teacher or a student.
During the Middle Ages, education was primarily available to those who were affiliated with the Church or nobility. As such, the name Schooler may have initially been used to refer to someone who had received formal education, which was a rarity at the time. It is possible that the name was given as a nickname or a descriptor to distinguish individuals in this profession or with this level of education.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Schooler can be found in the Bavarian town records from the late 13th century, where a man named Johannes Schuler is mentioned as a teacher at a local monastery school. This provides evidence that the name was already in use and associated with education during this time period.
As time passed, the name Schooler spread to other regions of Germany and beyond. In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Christoph Schooler (1515-1584), a German theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg. His works on Lutheran theology and biblical exegesis were widely influential during the Reformation period.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Johann Schooler (1628-1699), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar. His compositions, particularly for organ and sacred vocal works, were highly regarded in his time.
In the 18th century, the Schooler name found its way to England, where it was likely anglicized from the original German spelling. One notable figure was James Schooler (1756-1821), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament.
As the name spread across Europe and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, such as Schuhler, Shuler, and Shueller. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic adaptations that occurred as the name was adopted in different regions and cultures.
Throughout history, the surname Schooler has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to education, academia, and intellectual pursuits, reflecting the name's origins and connection to the world of learning and scholarship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schooler
Among Census respondents with the surname Schooler, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Schooler 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 Schooler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.9% · 1,642
- Black or African American9.6% · 197
- Two or more races4.4% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schooler
Schooler 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
#13,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,211
+47 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 710 places
2020
#14,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,054
-157 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 352 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,986 | 2,164 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,696 | 2,211 | 0.75 | +47 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 710 places |
| 2020 | #14,048 | 2,054 | 0.69 | -157 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 352 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 Schooler 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 | #13,696 | #14,048 | -2.6% |
| Count | 2,211 | 2,054 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.69 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schooler bearers went from 2,211 to 2,054 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 352 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,696 to #14,048.
FAQ
Schooler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schooler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,355 living Americans carry the surname Schooler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,543 residents.
How common is Schooler?
Schooler ranks #14,048 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,054 people with the surname Schooler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,355), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Schooler.
Has Schooler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schooler went from 2,211 recorded bearers to 2,054. That is a decrease of 157 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,696 to #14,048.
What does the Census say about the background of Schooler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schooler, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Schooler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.9% (1,642 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schooler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.9%), Black (9.6%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Schooler (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 Schooler mean?
An occupational surname for a teacher or someone who worked in a school. 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 Schooler (0.69 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 common is the surname Schooler?
Want to know how many people have the last name Schooler? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.