2000
#12,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,197
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Schreier
A German occupational surname referring to a town crier or public herald who made announcements.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,431 Americans carry the last name Schreier. That puts it at #13,685 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schreier 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 140,993
Census rank
#13,685
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,120 bearers of the surname Schreier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13685th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schreier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schreier
The surname Schreier is of German origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "schreier," which means "crier" or "shouter." This suggests that the name may have been given to a town crier or someone with a loud voice.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Schreier can be found in various medieval German records, such as city archives and church registers. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Hans Schreier, a merchant who lived in the town of Augsburg in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name Schreier appeared in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a family with this surname was prominent in the local guild system. Johannes Schreier, born in 1521, was a respected master craftsman and guild leader in Nuremberg.
During the 17th century, the Schreier family spread to other parts of Germany, with records showing individuals with this surname living in cities such as Leipzig, Dresden, and Berlin. One notable figure from this period was Franz Schreier (1635-1702), a composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Saxony-Weimar.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Schreier family settled in the Rhineland region of Germany. Johann Peter Schreier (1718-1792) was a successful wine merchant and landowner in the town of Koblenz.
As the Schreier family continued to prosper and spread throughout Germany, several individuals with this surname achieved notable accomplishments. Karl Schreier (1804-1879) was a prominent German architect who designed several iconic buildings in Dresden and Leipzig. In the 20th century, Peter Schreier (1935-2019) was an internationally acclaimed German tenor and conductor.
Throughout its history, the surname Schreier has maintained its strong German roots and connections to various trades, professions, and artistic pursuits. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name continues to be carried forward by individuals of German descent around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schreier
Among Census respondents with the surname Schreier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Schreier 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 Schreier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 1,984
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 57
- Two or more races2.1% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schreier
Schreier 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
#12,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,390
+193 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 37 places
2020
#13,685
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,120
-270 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,841 | 2,197 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,878 | 2,390 | 0.81 | +193 bearers (+8.8%) | Down 37 places |
| 2020 | #13,685 | 2,120 | 0.71 | -270 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 807 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 Schreier 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 | #12,878 | #13,685 | -6.3% |
| Count | 2,390 | 2,120 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.71 | -12.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schreier bearers went from 2,390 to 2,120 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 807 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,878 to #13,685.
FAQ
Schreier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schreier?
Name Census estimates that about 2,431 living Americans carry the surname Schreier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,993 residents.
How common is Schreier?
Schreier ranks #13,685 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,120 people with the surname Schreier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,431), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Schreier.
Has Schreier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schreier went from 2,390 recorded bearers to 2,120. That is a decrease of 270 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,878 to #13,685.
What does the Census say about the background of Schreier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schreier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Schreier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (1,984 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schreier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Schreier (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 Schreier mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a town crier or public herald who made announcements. 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 Schreier (0.71 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 Schreier?
Find out how many people have the surname Schreier on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.