2000
#2,596
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,785
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.74
Uncommon Last name
Schell
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a person who peeled bark or husked shells.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,093 Americans carry the last name Schell. That puts it at #2,861 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,321 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schell 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
14K
1 in 24,321
Census rank
#2,861
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,290 bearers of the surname Schell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2861st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schell
The surname SCHELL has its origins in Germany, and is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. It is likely derived from the Old High German word "schel," which means "bright" or "shining," and may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a fair complexion or bright hair.
The name SCHELL was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it is recorded in various historical documents and parish records from the 13th century onward. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval charters and documents from Saxony, where a "Heinricus Schel" is mentioned in a record from 1285.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, including "Schelle," "Schel," and "Schell," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Johann Schell, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Nuremberg, who lived from around 1350 to 1420.
The SCHELL surname is also associated with several place names in Germany, such as Schellenberg and Schellenburg, which may have influenced the spelling and spread of the name in certain regions. In some cases, the name may have originated as a reference to a person's place of origin or residence, rather than as a descriptive nickname.
Among the notable historical figures with the surname SCHELL are:
1. Johann Schell (1589-1657), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of Saxony.
2. Maximilian von Schell (1720-1792), a Bavarian nobleman and military officer who served as a field marshal in the Imperial Austrian Army.
3. August Wilhelm von Schell (1776-1847), a Prussian statesman and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1842 to 1845.
4. Paul Schell (1835-1919), a German-American architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Chicago, including the Auditorium Building and the Chicago Stock Exchange.
5. Inge Schell (1911-1994), a German actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions during the 1930s and 1940s.
These examples illustrate the long and diverse history of the SCHELL surname, which has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, military leaders, statesmen, and professionals.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schell
Among Census respondents with the surname Schell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Schell 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 Schell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 11,068
- Two or more races3.5% · 434
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 424
- Black or African American1.8% · 217
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 56
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schell
Schell 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
#2,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,016
+231 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 4.41
Rank movement Down 177 places
2020
#2,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,290
-726 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 4.11
Rank movement Down 88 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,596 | 12,785 | 4.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,773 | 13,016 | 4.41 | +231 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 177 places |
| 2020 | #2,861 | 12,290 | 4.11 | -726 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 88 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 Schell 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 | #2,773 | #2,861 | -3.2% |
| Count | 13,016 | 12,290 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.41 | 4.11 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schell bearers went from 13,016 to 12,290 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 88 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,773 to #2,861.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Schell
FAQ
Schell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schell?
Name Census estimates that about 14,093 living Americans carry the surname Schell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,321 residents.
How common is Schell?
Schell ranks #2,861 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,290 people with the surname Schell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,093), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Schell.
Has Schell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schell went from 13,016 recorded bearers to 12,290. That is a decrease of 726 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,773 to #2,861.
What does the Census say about the background of Schell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Schell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (11,068 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Schell (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 Schell mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a person who peeled bark or husked shells. 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 Schell (4.11 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 Schell?
Find out how many people have the last name Schell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.