2000
#6,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,194
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.93
Rare Last name
Schutz
A German occupational surname meaning "protection" or "guard," referring to a watchman, sentinel, or bailiff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,902 Americans carry the last name Schutz. That puts it at #6,352 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schutz 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 Schutz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,074
Census rank
#6,352
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,147 bearers of the surname Schutz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6352nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schutz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schutz
The surname Schutz originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Schutz," which means "protection" or "shelter." The name likely referred to someone who provided protection or shelter, perhaps a guard or a gatekeeper.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schutz can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of various German regions, such as Saxony and Bavaria. In these records, individuals with the surname Schutz are mentioned as early as the mid-1500s.
In the 17th century, the name Schutz appeared in various German manuscripts and documents. For example, Johann Jakob Schutz (1640-1690) was a German composer and organist who is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of the Lutheran church cantata.
The Schutz surname is also associated with several place names in Germany. For instance, the village of Schutzen in Saxony is believed to have derived its name from the German word "Schützen," meaning "marksmen" or "archers." It is possible that some individuals with the surname Schutz originated from or were associated with this village.
Another notable individual with the surname Schutz was Heinrich Schutz (1585-1672), a German composer and organist who is considered one of the most important figures in the early Baroque period. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of the German Baroque style, particularly in his sacred works and operas.
In the 19th century, Friedrich Wilhelm Schutz (1809-1892) was a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other German cities. His most famous work is the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) in Berlin, which is considered a masterpiece of Neoclassical architecture.
Other notable individuals with the surname Schutz include Wilhelm von Schutz (1776-1847), a Prussian general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, and Alfred Schutz (1899-1959), an Austrian philosopher and sociologist who made significant contributions to the field of phenomenology and the sociology of knowledge.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schutz
Among Census respondents with the surname Schutz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Schutz 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 Schutz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 4,751
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 164
- Two or more races2.5% · 127
- Black or African American0.9% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schutz
Schutz 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
#6,410
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,307
+113 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 316 places
2020
#6,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,147
-160 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Up 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,094 | 5,194 | 1.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,410 | 5,307 | 1.80 | +113 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 316 places |
| 2020 | #6,352 | 5,147 | 1.72 | -160 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 58 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 Schutz 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 | #6,410 | #6,352 | 0.9% |
| Count | 5,307 | 5,147 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.80 | 1.72 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schutz bearers went from 5,307 to 5,147 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,410 to #6,352.
FAQ
Schutz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schutz?
Name Census estimates that about 5,902 living Americans carry the surname Schutz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,074 residents.
How common is Schutz?
Schutz ranks #6,352 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,147 people with the surname Schutz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,902), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Schutz.
Has Schutz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schutz went from 5,307 recorded bearers to 5,147. That is a decrease of 160 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,410 to #6,352.
What does the Census say about the background of Schutz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schutz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Schutz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (4,751 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schutz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Schutz (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 Schutz mean?
A German occupational surname meaning "protection" or "guard," referring to a watchman, sentinel, 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 Schutz (1.72 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 Schutz?
See how many Americans have the surname Schutz on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.