2000
#13,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Schuessler
A German occupational surname referring to a bowl or dish maker, derived from the Middle High German "schüzzel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,422 Americans carry the last name Schuessler. That puts it at #13,728 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,517 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schuessler 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 141,517
Census rank
#13,728
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,112 bearers of the surname Schuessler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13728th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schuessler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schuessler
The surname Schuessler originated in Germany, with roots tracing back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "schütze," meaning "archer" or "shooter." This occupation-based surname was likely given to someone skilled in archery or a profession related to shooting.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various spellings, including Schützer, Schützer, and Schützelär. One of the earliest documented mentions of the name can be found in the Stadtbücher (city books) of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Schutzler was listed in 1397.
The Schuessler name gained prominence in the southern German regions, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It was also found in parts of Switzerland, where it was sometimes spelled as Schüssler.
One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Johann Schuessler (1624-1690), a German theologian and philosopher from Nuremberg. He was known for his work on natural law and served as a professor at the University of Altdorf.
Another individual of historical significance was Georg Schuessler (1770-1846), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design of several notable buildings in Munich, including the Alte Pinakothek art museum.
In the 19th century, the Schuessler name gained recognition through the work of Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler (1821-1898), a German biochemist and homeopathic physician. He developed a system of biochemic remedies based on the use of mineral salts, which became known as the "Biochemic System of Medicine."
The name also appeared in the Prussian province of Silesia, where a notable figure was Gustav Schuessler (1841-1914), a German writer and journalist. He published several works on the history and culture of Silesia.
Another notable bearer of the Schuessler name was Max Schuessler (1870-1933), a German-American architect and artist. He was known for his work in the Arts and Crafts movement, designing several notable buildings in the United States, including the Oakhurst Cottage in South Carolina.
While the surname Schuessler has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and historical events. However, its origins can be traced back to the skilled archers and shooters of medieval Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schuessler
Among Census respondents with the surname Schuessler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Schuessler 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 Schuessler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 1,933
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 95
- Two or more races3.1% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schuessler
Schuessler 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
#13,786
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,194
+82 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 537 places
2020
#13,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,112
-82 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,249 | 2,112 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,786 | 2,194 | 0.74 | +82 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 537 places |
| 2020 | #13,728 | 2,112 | 0.71 | -82 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 58 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 Schuessler 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 | #13,786 | #13,728 | 0.4% |
| Count | 2,194 | 2,112 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.71 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schuessler bearers went from 2,194 to 2,112 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,786 to #13,728.
FAQ
Schuessler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schuessler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,422 living Americans carry the surname Schuessler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,517 residents.
How common is Schuessler?
Schuessler ranks #13,728 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 2,112 people with the surname Schuessler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,422), 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 Schuessler.
Has Schuessler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schuessler went from 2,194 recorded bearers to 2,112. That is a decrease of 82 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,786 to #13,728.
What does the Census say about the background of Schuessler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schuessler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Schuessler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (1,933 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schuessler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Schuessler (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 Schuessler mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a bowl or dish maker, derived from the Middle High German "schüzzel." 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 Schuessler (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 many people are called Schuessler?
Find out how many people have the surname Schuessler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.