2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Schroetter
A habitational name for someone from any of several places named Schrott in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Schroetter. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schroetter 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Schroetter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schroetter, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schroetter
The surname SCHROETTER is of German origin, dating back to the late medieval period in the regions of modern-day Germany and Austria. It is derived from the Middle High German word "schroten," which means "to cut" or "to slice," suggesting a possible connection to occupations related to carpentry, masonry, or tailoring.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 14th century, in the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hainrich Schroetter is mentioned in a legal document from 1372. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during that time.
Historically, the SCHROETTER name has been associated with various prominent figures, including Johannes Schroetter (1528-1588), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another notable individual was Christoph Schroetter (1699-1782), a German composer and organist who made significant contributions to the Baroque music tradition.
In the 18th century, Johann Samuel Schroetter (1735-1808) was a renowned German mineralogist and geologist, known for his pioneering work in the classification of minerals and the study of crystallography. His contributions laid the foundation for modern mineralogy.
The SCHROETTER surname can also be found in the historical records of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where it was often associated with noble families and influential individuals. One such example is Anton Schroetter (1802-1875), an Austrian lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice for the Austrian Empire in the mid-19th century.
Another notable figure was Carl Schroetter (1855-1919), a German-Austrian otolaryngologist who made significant contributions to the field of ear, nose, and throat medicine. His pioneering work on the diagnosis and treatment of various ear disorders earned him widespread recognition in the medical community.
While the SCHROETTER surname has its roots in Germany and Austria, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its rich historical background and association with noteworthy individuals continue to be an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schroetter
Among Census respondents with the surname Schroetter, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schroetter 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 Schroetter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.2% · 119
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schroetter
Schroetter 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-16 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,361 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,092 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 22,361 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 2,092 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 Schroetter 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 | #144,141 | #142,049 | 1.5% |
| Count | 115 | 120 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schroetter bearers went from 115 to 120 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 2,092 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #142,049.
FAQ
Schroetter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schroetter?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Schroetter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Schroetter?
Schroetter ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Schroetter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Schroetter.
Has Schroetter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schroetter went from 115 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Schroetter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schroetter, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Schroetter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schroetter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Schroetter (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 Schroetter mean?
A habitational name for someone from any of several places named Schrott in Germany. 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 Schroetter (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 are called Schroetter?
If you just want to know how many people are called Schroetter, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.