2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Schurch
An English habitational name for someone from a place called Shirish or Sherah.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Schurch. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schurch 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Schurch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schurch, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schurch
The surname Schurch originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "schurich," which means "overseer" or "steward." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have held positions of authority or responsibility within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Schurch surname can be found in the Wurttembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the region of Württemberg, Germany. In a document dated 1289, a man named Henricus Schurich is mentioned, potentially indicating an early variation of the spelling.
During the Middle Ages, the Schurch name appeared in various records across German-speaking regions, often associated with rural areas or small villages. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Schurch (1492-1564) was a prominent Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the Reformation movement in Switzerland.
The Schurch surname also found its way into the annals of history in other parts of Europe. In the 17th century, a merchant named Johann Schurch (1626-1687) was recorded as a successful trader in the Netherlands, contributing to the economic prosperity of the region.
As the Schurch family spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including Schurck, Schurk, and Schurke. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping.
Another notable figure bearing the Schurch surname was Karl Schurch (1802-1872), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the 19th century.
In the 20th century, the Schurch name gained recognition through the works of the Swiss writer and poet, Richard Schurch (1904-1984), whose literary contributions explored themes of human existence and the natural world.
While the Schurch surname may not be as widespread as some other German names, its history is deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of Central Europe, spanning centuries of societal and historical developments.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schurch
Among Census respondents with the surname Schurch, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schurch 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 Schurch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schurch
Schurch 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-13 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,447 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 21,447 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 2,944 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 Schurch 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 | #149,395 | #152,339 | -2.0% |
| Count | 110 | 106 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schurch bearers went from 110 to 106 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 2,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #152,339.
FAQ
Schurch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schurch?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Schurch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Schurch?
Schurch ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Schurch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Schurch.
Has Schurch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schurch went from 110 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Schurch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schurch, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) 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 Schurch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schurch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (4.7%), 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 Schurch (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 Schurch mean?
An English habitational name for someone from a place called Shirish or Sherah. 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 Schurch (0.04 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 Schurch?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.