2000
#13,233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Schultze
A German occupational surname derived from the word "Schultheiß," meaning a medieval village headman, magistrate, or bailiff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,667 Americans carry the last name Schultze. That puts it at #12,677 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,517 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schultze 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
2.7K
1 in 128,517
Census rank
#12,677
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,326 bearers of the surname Schultze in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12677th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schultze, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schultze
The surname Schultze is of German origin, originating in the northern regions of Germany during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "schultheiz," which translates to "village mayor" or "magistrate." This etymology suggests that the name was initially borne by individuals who held positions of authority within local communities.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, often spelled as "Schultheiss" or "Schultheiß." One of the earliest documented instances of this surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dated 1287, where a certain "Henricus Schultheiz" is mentioned.
During the 15th century, the surname began to evolve into its current spelling, "Schultze." This variation was particularly prominent in the regions of Brandenburg and Pomerania. In 1492, a record from the city of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) references a "Johannes Schultze" among its residents.
The name Schultze has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Johann Schultze (1616-1686), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia). Another prominent figure was Benjamin Schultze (1689-1760), a German botanist and physician who made significant contributions to the study of plant anatomy.
In the 19th century, Ernst Schultze (1824-1912) was a renowned German anatomist and physiologist known for his research on protoplasm and the development of histological techniques. His contemporary, Max Schultze (1825-1874), was a distinguished German anatomist and microscopist who made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of cell theory.
More recently, Fritz Schultze-Rhonhof (1910-2006) was a German military officer and author who served in World War II and later wrote several books on military history and strategy.
While the surname Schultze has its roots in northern Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era, when it was borne by individuals holding administrative roles within local communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schultze
Among Census respondents with the surname Schultze, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Schultze 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 Schultze surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,139
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 88
- Two or more races3.0% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schultze
Schultze 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
#14,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,053
-62 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 1,290 places
2020
#12,677
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,326
+273 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 1,846 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,233 | 2,115 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,523 | 2,053 | 0.70 | -62 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 1,290 places |
| 2020 | #12,677 | 2,326 | 0.78 | +273 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 1,846 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 Schultze 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 | #14,523 | #12,677 | 12.7% |
| Count | 2,053 | 2,326 | 13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.78 | 11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schultze bearers went from 2,053 to 2,326 (+13.3% change). The surname moved up 1,846 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,523 to #12,677.
FAQ
Schultze surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schultze?
Name Census estimates that about 2,667 living Americans carry the surname Schultze. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,517 residents.
How common is Schultze?
Schultze ranks #12,677 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,326 people with the surname Schultze. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,667), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Schultze.
Has Schultze become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schultze went from 2,053 recorded bearers to 2,326. That is an increase of 273 (+13.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,523 to #12,677.
What does the Census say about the background of Schultze?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schultze, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Schultze in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,139 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schultze appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Schultze (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 Schultze mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the word "Schultheiß," meaning a medieval village headman, magistrate, or bailiff. 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 Schultze (0.78 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 Americans have the surname Schultze?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.