2000
#42,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 485
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Schoeller
A German surname derived from the occupational term for a fish monger or fisherman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 667 Americans carry the last name Schoeller. That puts it at #40,538 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 513,875 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schoeller 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
667
1 in 513,875
Census rank
#40,538
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
582
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 582 bearers of the surname Schoeller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 40538th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoeller, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schoeller
The surname Schoeller is of German origin, emerging in the Middle Ages, specifically in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. It is derived from the Middle High German word "schol," which means a wooden plank or board, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with wood, such as a carpenter or woodworker.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Schoeller name can be found in the Nuremberg Burgerbuch (Citizen's Book) from 1382, which mentions a Hans Scholler. The variations in spelling, such as Scholler, Schöller, and Schöllner, were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
In the 16th century, the Schoeller family established itself as a prominent merchant and banking dynasty in the city of Frankfurt am Main. Johannes Schoeller (1538-1615) was a successful merchant and banker, and his son, Johann Schoeller (1577-1645), continued the family business and served as a city councilor in Frankfurt.
The Schoeller name also appears in historical records related to the German Reformation. In 1520, a Hans Schoeller from Leipzig was mentioned in a letter written by Martin Luther, suggesting that he may have been one of the early supporters of the Reformation movement.
In the 18th century, Friedrich Schoeller (1722-1803) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony, known for his works on Christian apologetics and polemics against the Catholic Church.
Another notable figure bearing the Schoeller name was Johann Gottlieb Schoeller (1775-1836), a German chemist and pharmacist who made significant contributions to the field of analytical chemistry and the development of new chemical processes.
Throughout history, the Schoeller surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, bankers, theologians, scientists, and artisans, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schoeller
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoeller, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schoeller 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 Schoeller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 551
- Two or more races2.2% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schoeller
Schoeller 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
#53,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 383
-102 bearers (-21.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 11,779 places
2020
#40,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 582
+199 bearers (+52.0%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 13,375 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,134 | 485 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,913 | 383 | 0.13 | -102 bearers (-21.0%) | Down 11,779 places |
| 2020 | #40,538 | 582 | 0.19 | +199 bearers (+52.0%) | Up 13,375 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 Schoeller 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 | #53,913 | #40,538 | 24.8% |
| Count | 383 | 582 | 52.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.19 | 49.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schoeller bearers went from 383 to 582 (+52.0% change). The surname moved up 13,375 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,913 to #40,538.
FAQ
Schoeller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schoeller?
Name Census estimates that about 667 living Americans carry the surname Schoeller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 513,875 residents.
How common is Schoeller?
Schoeller ranks #40,538 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 582 people with the surname Schoeller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (667), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Schoeller.
Has Schoeller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schoeller went from 383 recorded bearers to 582. That is an increase of 199 (+52.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,913 to #40,538.
What does the Census say about the background of Schoeller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schoeller, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Schoeller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (551 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schoeller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Two or More Races (2.2%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Schoeller (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 Schoeller mean?
A German surname derived from the occupational term for a fish monger or fisherman. 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 Schoeller (0.19 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 Schoeller?
You can see how many people have the last name Schoeller on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.