2000
#261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104,962
First available Census row
Per 100,000 38.91
Common Last name
Schultz
A German occupational surname referring to a village headman, constable, or bailiff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114,595 Americans carry the last name Schultz. That puts it at #311 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 33.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,991 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schultz 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Schultz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
115K
1 in 2,991
Census rank
#311
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
33.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99,932 bearers of the surname Schultz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 33.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 311th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schultz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schultz
The surname Schultz originated in Germany, emerging during the late medieval period between the 12th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the German word "Schultheiß," which referred to a local official or village headman. This position was responsible for administering justice, collecting taxes, and overseeing community affairs within a particular town or district.
The name Schultz is believed to have first appeared in various regions of modern-day Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Brandenburg. It was initially spelled in a variety of ways, such as Schultze, Schulte, and Schultheiss, reflecting regional linguistic variations and scribal practices of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schultz can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Brandenburg region, dating back to the 13th century. The name is also mentioned in various municipal records and legal documents from cities like Nuremberg and Augsburg during the 14th and 15th centuries.
Among notable individuals bearing the surname Schultz throughout history is Johann Schultz (1594-1672), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. Another prominent figure was Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schultz (1738-1823), a Prussian statesman and military officer who served as a general during the Napoleonic Wars.
In the realm of literature, the name Schultz is associated with the German poet and dramatist Fritz Schultz (1885-1938), whose works explored themes of social justice and political activism. Additionally, Carl Heinrich Schultz (1805-1867) was a renowned German botanist and physician who made substantial contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and medicinal plants.
The surname Schultz also has a notable presence in the arts, with the German-American artist and photographer Harry Schultz (1927-2008) gaining recognition for his abstract expressionist works and his depictions of urban landscapes. Furthermore, the American composer and conductor Maurice Schultz (1920-2015) left a lasting impact on the world of classical music through his compositions and orchestral performances.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schultz
Among Census respondents with the surname Schultz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schultz 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 Schultz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 91,926
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 3,212
- Two or more races2.9% · 2,940
- Black or African American0.8% · 830
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 729
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 295
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schultz
Schultz 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
#297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104,888
-74 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 35.56
Rank movement Down 36 places
2020
#311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99,932
-4,956 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 33.43
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #261 | 104,962 | 38.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #297 | 104,888 | 35.56 | -74 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 36 places |
| 2020 | #311 | 99,932 | 33.43 | -4,956 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 14 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 Schultz 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 | #297 | #311 | -4.7% |
| Count | 104,888 | 99,932 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 35.56 | 33.43 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schultz bearers went from 104,888 to 99,932 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #297 to #311.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Schultz
FAQ
Schultz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schultz?
Name Census estimates that about 114,595 living Americans carry the surname Schultz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,991 residents.
How common is Schultz?
Schultz ranks #311 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 33.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 33 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 99,932 people with the surname Schultz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114,595), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 33.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 33.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 33 of them to have the surname Schultz.
Has Schultz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schultz went from 104,888 recorded bearers to 99,932. That is a decrease of 4,956 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #297 to #311.
What does the Census say about the background of Schultz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schultz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Schultz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (91,926 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schultz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Schultz (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 Schultz mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a village headman, constable, or bailiff. 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 Schultz (33.43 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 Schultz?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Schultz, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.