2000
#1,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,676
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.78
Uncommon Last name
Schulz
An occupational surname for a village mayor, constable, or steward, derived from the German word "Schultheiß."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,848 Americans carry the last name Schulz. That puts it at #1,488 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,766 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schulz 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 Schulz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
27K
1 in 12,766
Census rank
#1,488
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 23,413 bearers of the surname Schulz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1488th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schulz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schulz
The surname Schulz originated in German-speaking regions of Central Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Germany and Poland. It is derived from the Middle High German word "schultheiz," which means a reeve or village headman responsible for collecting taxes and rents.
The earliest known records of the name date back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented instances is in the Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae, a collection of historical documents from Silesia (now part of Poland), where a certain "Conradus Schultheiz" is mentioned in 1285.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Schultes, Schultheis, and Schultheiss, in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. These variations reflect the regional dialects and spellings of the time.
During the Middle Ages, the name was often associated with individuals who held administrative or judicial positions in local communities. For instance, a certain "Johannes Schultheis" is recorded as a city councilor in Nuremberg in 1379.
Over time, the name evolved into its modern form, Schulz, which became more common in the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable bearer of the name was the German poet and dramatist Andreas Gryphius (1616-1664), considered one of the most significant writers of the Baroque period in Germany.
Another famous Schulz was the Polish-born German writer Bruno Schulz (1892-1942), renowned for his surreal and metaphysical short stories. His works, such as "The Street of Crocodiles" and "Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass," have been widely acclaimed for their innovative and imaginative style.
In the 19th century, the name was also associated with several prominent figures in various fields. Carl Heinrich Schulz (1805-1867) was a German astronomer who discovered several asteroids and comets, while Wilhelm Schulz (1814-1887) was a German landscape painter known for his realistic depictions of nature.
Another notable bearer of the name was the German philosopher and psychologist Wilhelm Schulz (1863-1935), who made significant contributions to the field of phenomenology and is considered a precursor to the existentialist movement.
Overall, the surname Schulz has a rich history spanning several centuries and is deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of German-speaking regions. Its evolution reflects the changing administrative and social structures of Central Europe over time, as well as the diverse contributions of its bearers to various fields of human endeavor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schulz
Among Census respondents with the surname Schulz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schulz 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 Schulz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 21,547
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 826
- Two or more races2.8% · 665
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 194
- Black or African American0.5% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 75
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schulz
Schulz 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
#1,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,385
+709 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 8.27
Rank movement Down 87 places
2020
#1,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,413
-972 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 7.83
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,374 | 23,676 | 8.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,461 | 24,385 | 8.27 | +709 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 87 places |
| 2020 | #1,488 | 23,413 | 7.83 | -972 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 27 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 Schulz 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 | #1,461 | #1,488 | -1.8% |
| Count | 24,385 | 23,413 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 8.27 | 7.83 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schulz bearers went from 24,385 to 23,413 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,461 to #1,488.
FAQ
Schulz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schulz?
Name Census estimates that about 26,848 living Americans carry the surname Schulz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,766 residents.
How common is Schulz?
Schulz ranks #1,488 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 23,413 people with the surname Schulz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,848), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Schulz.
Has Schulz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schulz went from 24,385 recorded bearers to 23,413. That is a decrease of 972 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,461 to #1,488.
What does the Census say about the background of Schulz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schulz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Schulz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (21,547 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schulz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Schulz (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 Schulz mean?
An occupational surname for a village mayor, constable, or steward, derived from the German word "Schultheiß." 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 Schulz (7.83 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 are called Schulz?
If you just want to know how many people are called Schulz, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.