2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sholander
A surname derived from a topographic name, meaning "one who lived on a hillside."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Sholander. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sholander 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Sholander in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sholander, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sholander
The surname SHOLANDER is of Swedish origin, originating in the late 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Swedish word "schola," which means school, and the suffix "-ander," which denotes a person or occupation. The name likely referred to someone who was associated with a school, perhaps a teacher or student.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SHOLANDER name can be found in the parish records of Östergötland, a historical province in southeastern Sweden. In 1692, a man named Johan Sholander was registered in the church records of Västra Husby parish.
The SHOLANDER name can also be traced back to the city of Linköping, the capital of Östergötland. In the 18th century, there were several families with the SHOLANDER surname living in the city, suggesting that the name may have originated in or around this area.
While the name is not as common as some other Swedish surnames, there are notable individuals throughout history who have borne the SHOLANDER name. One such person was Carl Sholander (1848-1923), a Swedish businessman and industrialist who founded the Sholander & Holm shipyard in Gothenburg.
Another notable SHOLANDER was Nils Sholander (1889-1962), a Swedish-American scientist who made significant contributions to the field of physiology. He was known for his research on the respiratory systems of marine animals and was a professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the SHOLANDER name dates back to the late 19th century. In 1880, a man named Anders Sholander immigrated to the United States from Sweden and settled in Minnesota.
Other notable individuals with the SHOLANDER surname include Gunnar Sholander (1919-2010), a Swedish actor and director, and Eric Sholander (born 1942), an American author and professor of English literature.
While the SHOLANDER name is not as widespread as some other surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its Swedish roots in the 17th century. The name has been carried by individuals in various fields, including business, science, and the arts, contributing to the diverse tapestry of this surname's legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sholander
Among Census respondents with the surname Sholander, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sholander 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 Sholander surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 105
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sholander
Sholander 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,881 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,881 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,081 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 Sholander 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 | #141,140 | #147,221 | -4.3% |
| Count | 118 | 113 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sholander bearers went from 118 to 113 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,221.
FAQ
Sholander surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sholander?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Sholander. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Sholander?
Sholander ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Sholander. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Sholander.
Has Sholander become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sholander went from 118 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Sholander?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sholander, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Sholander in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sholander appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Black (2.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Sholander (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 Sholander mean?
A surname derived from a topographic name, meaning "one who lived on a hillside." 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 Sholander (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 Americans have the surname Sholander?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.