2000
#8,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,629
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Schuette
A German occupational surname referring to a marksman, archer, or shooter, derived from the Middle High German "schütze."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,103 Americans carry the last name Schuette. That puts it at #8,795 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,537 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schuette 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
4.1K
1 in 83,537
Census rank
#8,795
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,578 bearers of the surname Schuette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8795th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schuette, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schuette
The surname Schuette originated in Germany, with its earliest known instances dating back to the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "Schütte," which means a person who worked as a gatekeeper or toll collector, particularly at a city gate. The name is closely related to the Old High German word "sciutan," meaning "to shoot" or "to pour," which may have referred to the act of opening or closing a gate.
In the late Middle Ages, many German cities and towns employed gatekeepers to control access, collect tolls, and maintain security. These gatekeepers became known by various names, including Schuette, Schütte, or Schütter. The name likely originated in areas where this occupation was prevalent, such as in the northern German cities of Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck, which were major trade centers at the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schuette can be found in the Hanseatic League's records from the 14th century. The Hanseatic League was a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe, and it played a significant role in the economic and cultural development of the region.
In the 15th century, the name Schuette appeared in various historical documents, including municipal records and tax rolls. For example, a certain Henrich Schuette was mentioned in the city records of Lübeck in 1472, suggesting that the name had already gained prominence in the region.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname Schuette throughout history. One of the earliest was Johann Schuette (1508-1572), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a crucial role in the spread of the Lutheran faith in northern Germany. Another prominent figure was Hans Schuette (1592-1657), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of logarithms and the calculation of celestial orbits.
In later centuries, the name Schuette continued to be associated with various fields, including art, literature, and politics. For instance, Gottfried Schuette (1770-1839) was a German painter known for his landscapes and historical scenes, while Karl Schuette (1803-1851) was a German writer and journalist who played a role in the political upheavals of the 1848 revolutions.
Another notable figure was Otto Schuette (1838-1914), a German politician and statesman who served as the Minister President of Prussia from 1892 to 1901. During his tenure, he implemented important reforms in education and social welfare policies.
While the name Schuette is predominantly found in Germany, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and emigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain rooted in the northern German regions, where it first emerged as a occupational surname for gatekeepers and toll collectors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schuette
Among Census respondents with the surname Schuette, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Schuette 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 Schuette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 3,380
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 81
- Two or more races2.2% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schuette
Schuette 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
#8,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,059
+430 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 210 places
2020
#8,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,578
-481 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 631 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,374 | 3,629 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,164 | 4,059 | 1.38 | +430 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 210 places |
| 2020 | #8,795 | 3,578 | 1.20 | -481 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 631 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 Schuette 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 | #8,164 | #8,795 | -7.7% |
| Count | 4,059 | 3,578 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.20 | -13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schuette bearers went from 4,059 to 3,578 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 631 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,164 to #8,795.
FAQ
Schuette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schuette?
Name Census estimates that about 4,103 living Americans carry the surname Schuette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,537 residents.
How common is Schuette?
Schuette ranks #8,795 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 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 3,578 people with the surname Schuette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,103), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 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 Schuette.
Has Schuette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schuette went from 4,059 recorded bearers to 3,578. That is a decrease of 481 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,164 to #8,795.
What does the Census say about the background of Schuette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schuette, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Schuette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (3,380 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schuette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Schuette (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 Schuette mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a marksman, archer, or shooter, derived from the Middle High German "schütze." 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 Schuette (1.20 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 have the last name Schuette?
Find out how many people have the last name Schuette on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.