2000
#2,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,695
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.45
Uncommon Last name
Schuler
A German occupational surname referring to a teacher, schoolmaster, or someone who worked in a school.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,977 Americans carry the last name Schuler. That puts it at #2,522 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,453 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schuler 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Schuler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,453
Census rank
#2,522
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,933 bearers of the surname Schuler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2522nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schuler, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schuler
The surname Schuler is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "schuole," which means "school" or "place of learning." This suggests that the name may have originally been given to someone associated with a school or educational institution, such as a teacher or scholar.
In the 13th century, the name Schuler appeared in various records and documents, such as the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," which was a collection of historical documents from Saxony. The earliest known bearer of this name was Johannes Schuler, who was mentioned in a document from the city of Cologne in 1284.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name Schuler became more widespread across German-speaking regions, with variations in spelling, such as Schüler, Schuller, and Schuller. Some notable individuals from this period include Heinrich Schuler (c. 1370-1440), a German poet and monk from Esslingen, and Hans Schuler (c. 1435-1505), a German painter and engraver from Ulm.
In the 16th century, the name Schuler continued to be associated with scholars and intellectuals. One prominent figure was Johannes Schuler (1505-1577), a German humanist and educator from Nuremberg, who wrote several works on education and philosophy.
The 17th century saw the rise of the Schuler family in the town of Steinbach, in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Johann Friedrich Schuler (1662-1732) was a renowned clockmaker and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of mechanical clocks and watches.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Schuler spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, as German immigrants and their descendants settled in various countries. One notable figure from this period was Carl Schuler (1782-1833), a German-American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Throughout history, the surname Schuler has been associated with various professions and fields, including education, arts, sciences, and politics. While the name may have its roots in the educational sphere, it has since become a respected surname carried by many individuals from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schuler
Among Census respondents with the surname Schuler, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Schuler 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 Schuler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 12,438
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 463
- Two or more races3.2% · 442
- Black or African American2.9% · 405
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 129
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 56
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schuler
Schuler 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
#2,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,745
+50 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 5.00
Rank movement Down 181 places
2020
#2,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,933
-812 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 4.66
Rank movement Down 74 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,267 | 14,695 | 5.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,448 | 14,745 | 5.00 | +50 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 181 places |
| 2020 | #2,522 | 13,933 | 4.66 | -812 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 74 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 Schuler 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 | #2,448 | #2,522 | -3.0% |
| Count | 14,745 | 13,933 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.00 | 4.66 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schuler bearers went from 14,745 to 13,933 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 74 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,448 to #2,522.
FAQ
Schuler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schuler?
Name Census estimates that about 15,977 living Americans carry the surname Schuler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,453 residents.
How common is Schuler?
Schuler ranks #2,522 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,933 people with the surname Schuler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,977), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Schuler.
Has Schuler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schuler went from 14,745 recorded bearers to 13,933. That is a decrease of 812 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,448 to #2,522.
What does the Census say about the background of Schuler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schuler, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Schuler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (12,438 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schuler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Schuler (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 Schuler mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a teacher, schoolmaster, 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 Schuler (4.66 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 surname Schuler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.