2000
#2,156
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,448
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.73
Uncommon Last name
Schaeffer
An occupational surname referring to a shepherd or sheep shearer, derived from the German word "schäfer" meaning "shepherd."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,075 Americans carry the last name Schaeffer. That puts it at #2,391 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,073 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schaeffer 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
17K
1 in 20,073
Census rank
#2,391
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,890 bearers of the surname Schaeffer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2391st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schaeffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schaeffer
The surname Schaeffer is of German origin, derived from the occupation of a shepherd or shepherd overseer. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "schaf," meaning sheep, and the suffix "-er," indicating an occupation or profession.
In its earliest forms, the name was spelled in various ways, such as Schaffer, Schaefer, and Schäfer. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions during that time period. The name was particularly prevalent in regions with a strong German-speaking population, such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schaeffer can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the 13th century. This collection includes references to individuals bearing the name Schaeffer, suggesting its use as a surname during that period.
Historically, the surname Schaeffer was associated with individuals involved in the shepherding profession or those who oversaw sheep-related activities. As such, it was commonly found in rural areas and villages where sheep farming was a significant economic activity.
Among notable individuals with the surname Schaeffer throughout history are:
1. Johann Schaeffer (1624-1677), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher.
2. Jacob Christian Schaeffer (1718-1790), a German naturalist and mycologist known for his work on fungi.
3. Johann Wilhelm Schaeffer (1768-1838), a German artist and engraver renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings.
4. August Schaeffer (1833-1916), a German-American brewer and businessman who co-founded the Schaeffer Brewery in New York.
5. Edith Schaeffer (1914-2013), an American writer and co-founder of the L'Abri community in Switzerland.
It's worth noting that the surname Schaeffer has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Germany and regions with a strong German influence. For example, the town of Schäferhof in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, likely derived its name from the occupation of shepherding.
Overall, the surname Schaeffer has a rich history rooted in German culture and the shepherding profession, with its origins dating back to the medieval period and its variations reflecting the linguistic and regional differences of that era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schaeffer
Among Census respondents with the surname Schaeffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Schaeffer 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 Schaeffer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 13,455
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 538
- Two or more races2.8% · 410
- Black or African American1.7% · 253
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 103
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schaeffer
Schaeffer 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
#2,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,024
+576 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 5.43
Rank movement Down 116 places
2020
#2,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,890
-1,134 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 4.98
Rank movement Down 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,156 | 15,448 | 5.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,272 | 16,024 | 5.43 | +576 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 116 places |
| 2020 | #2,391 | 14,890 | 4.98 | -1,134 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 119 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 Schaeffer 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 | #2,272 | #2,391 | -5.2% |
| Count | 16,024 | 14,890 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 5.43 | 4.98 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schaeffer bearers went from 16,024 to 14,890 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,272 to #2,391.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Schaeffer
FAQ
Schaeffer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schaeffer?
Name Census estimates that about 17,075 living Americans carry the surname Schaeffer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,073 residents.
How common is Schaeffer?
Schaeffer ranks #2,391 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,890 people with the surname Schaeffer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,075), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Schaeffer.
Has Schaeffer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schaeffer went from 16,024 recorded bearers to 14,890. That is a decrease of 1,134 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,272 to #2,391.
What does the Census say about the background of Schaeffer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schaeffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) 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 Schaeffer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (13,455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schaeffer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (3.6%), 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 Schaeffer (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 Schaeffer mean?
An occupational surname referring to a shepherd or sheep shearer, derived from the German word "schäfer" meaning "shepherd." 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 Schaeffer (4.98 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 have the last name Schaeffer?
See how many people are called Schaeffer on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.