2000
#10,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,807
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Sheetz
A German occupational surname referring to an archer or crossbowman, derived from the Middle High German word "schütze."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,003 Americans carry the last name Sheetz. That puts it at #11,494 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,137 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheetz 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
3.0K
1 in 114,137
Census rank
#11,494
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,619 bearers of the surname Sheetz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11494th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheetz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheetz
The surname Sheetz is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Schütz," which means "archer" or "marksman." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who were skilled archers or worked as guards or soldiers.
The earliest records of the name Sheetz can be found in various German regions, particularly in the areas of Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest documented instances is in the town of Freiburg, where a certain Johannes Schütz was mentioned in a tax record from the year 1348.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in several historical documents, including the Nuremberg Chronicle, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493. The book mentions a certain Hans Schütz, a respected citizen of the city of Nuremberg.
The name Sheetz also appears in various iterations and spellings throughout history. In the 16th century, records from the town of Augsburg refer to a family named "Schützin," which is believed to be a variation of the same surname.
One notable figure with the surname Sheetz was Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), a German composer and organist who is considered one of the most important composers of the 17th century. His works, which included sacred music and operas, had a significant influence on the development of German Baroque music.
Another individual of historical significance was Johann Schütz (1640-1690), a German mathematician and astronomer. He made important contributions to the study of comets and was one of the first to calculate the orbit of a comet accurately.
In the 18th century, the surname Sheetz was found in various regions of Germany, including Saxony and Thuringia. One noteworthy figure from this period was Friedrich Schütz (1744-1811), a German writer and philosopher who was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement.
The name Sheetz also found its way to other parts of Europe, as German immigrants and settlers traveled to new lands. In the 19th century, records show individuals with the surname Sheetz living in countries such as Austria, Switzerland, and even as far as Russia.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Sheetz in the United States was Johann Sheetz, who immigrated from Germany in the late 18th century and settled in Pennsylvania. His descendants later spread across various states, contributing to the growth and diversity of the Sheetz family in America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheetz
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheetz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheetz 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 Sheetz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 2,438
- Two or more races3.2% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
- Black or African American0.6% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheetz
Sheetz 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
#11,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,795
-12 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 800 places
2020
#11,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,619
-176 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,499 | 2,807 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,299 | 2,795 | 0.95 | -12 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 800 places |
| 2020 | #11,494 | 2,619 | 0.88 | -176 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 195 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 Sheetz 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 | #11,299 | #11,494 | -1.7% |
| Count | 2,795 | 2,619 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.95 | 0.88 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheetz bearers went from 2,795 to 2,619 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 195 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,299 to #11,494.
FAQ
Sheetz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheetz?
Name Census estimates that about 3,003 living Americans carry the surname Sheetz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,137 residents.
How common is Sheetz?
Sheetz ranks #11,494 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 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 2,619 people with the surname Sheetz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,003), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 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 Sheetz.
Has Sheetz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheetz went from 2,795 recorded bearers to 2,619. That is a decrease of 176 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,299 to #11,494.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheetz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheetz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Sheetz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (2,438 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheetz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Sheetz (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 Sheetz mean?
A German occupational surname referring to an archer or crossbowman, derived from the Middle High German word "schütze." 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 Sheetz (0.88 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 Sheetz?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Sheetz? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.