2000
#11,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,595
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Schultheis
A German occupational surname referring to a village headman, bailiff, or constable.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,855 Americans carry the last name Schultheis. That puts it at #11,985 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,054 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schultheis 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
2.9K
1 in 120,054
Census rank
#11,985
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,490 bearers of the surname Schultheis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11985th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schultheis, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schultheis
The surname Schultheis is of German origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Middle High German words "schulte" meaning an administrative officer or bailiff, and "heiz" meaning "called". Thus, the name originally referred to someone who held the position of a reeve or bailiff, an important local official responsible for managing land and enforcing laws on behalf of a landowner or ruler.
The name is found in various early records and manuscripts, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia in southern Germany. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Konrad Schultheis, a wealthy merchant and member of the patrician class in the city of Nuremberg, who lived in the late 14th century.
In the 15th century, a notable figure was Johannes Schultheis, a prominent lawyer and legal scholar from the city of Mainz. He authored several important works on Roman law and served as a legal advisor to the Archbishop of Mainz.
During the 16th century, the name was also found in Switzerland, where a family of Schultheis lived in the city of Zurich. One member, Hans Schultheis (1490-1555), was a prominent Reformer and close associate of Ulrich Zwingli, playing a key role in the Swiss Protestant Reformation.
Another bearer of the name was Johann Schultheis (1598-1638), a German astronomer and mathematician from Nuremberg. He made important contributions to the development of logarithms and the calculation of planetary orbits.
In the 18th century, a notable figure was Johann Georg Schultheis (1724-1804), a German botanist and physician from Mainz. He published several works on the flora of the Rhine region and served as a professor of botany and medicine at the University of Mainz.
While the name Schultheis is still found today, particularly in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, it has become less common over time. The surname reflects the important administrative and legal roles held by some of its earlier bearers in medieval and early modern Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schultheis
Among Census respondents with the surname Schultheis, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Schultheis 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 Schultheis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 2,317
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 68
- Two or more races2.7% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schultheis
Schultheis 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
#11,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,669
+74 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 539 places
2020
#11,985
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,490
-179 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 246 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,200 | 2,595 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,739 | 2,669 | 0.90 | +74 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 539 places |
| 2020 | #11,985 | 2,490 | 0.83 | -179 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 246 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 Schultheis 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 | #11,739 | #11,985 | -2.1% |
| Count | 2,669 | 2,490 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.83 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schultheis bearers went from 2,669 to 2,490 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 246 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,739 to #11,985.
FAQ
Schultheis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schultheis?
Name Census estimates that about 2,855 living Americans carry the surname Schultheis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,054 residents.
How common is Schultheis?
Schultheis ranks #11,985 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,490 people with the surname Schultheis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,855), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Schultheis.
Has Schultheis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schultheis went from 2,669 recorded bearers to 2,490. That is a decrease of 179 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,739 to #11,985.
What does the Census say about the background of Schultheis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schultheis, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Schultheis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (2,317 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schultheis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Schultheis (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 Schultheis mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a village headman, bailiff, or constable. 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 Schultheis (0.83 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 share the surname Schultheis?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.