Explore the Family Name Schelling

The meaning of Schelling

1. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Schilling. 2. Dutch: nickname from scellinc ‘shilling’, see Schilling. 3. Dutch (Van der Schelling): habitational name for someone from the West Frisian island of Ter Schelling. 4. Swiss German: nickname for a farmer known for his stud horse, from Middle High German schel ‘stallion’. History: Jacobus vander Schelling arrived in New Netherland on the ship Beaver with his son, aged 13, in 1659.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Schelling in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Schelling has seen a decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Schelling was ranked 21,493 in terms of prevalence; however, by 2010, it had dropped to 25,620, representing a decrease of approximately 19.2 percent. The number of occurrences also declined during this period from 1,133 to 963, indicating a 15 percent drop. Consequently, for every 100,000 people, the proportion with the surname Schelling fell by 21.43 percent from 0.42 to 0.33.

20002010Change
Rank#21,493#25,620-19.2%
Count1,133963-15%
Proportion per 100k0.420.33-21.43%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Schelling

Regarding the ethnicity linked to the surname Schelling, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows a slight increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander group from 0.71 percent in 2000 to 0.73 percent in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races also rose by 24.67 percent over the same period, from 1.50 percent to 1.87 percent. However, those identifying as white decreased from 95.94 percent to 93.98 percent, a reduction of 2.04 percent. The most notable change occurred within the Hispanic category, which saw a significant rise from 1.50 percent to 2.91 percent, marking an increase of 94 percent. There was no recorded change for the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, as their numbers remained static at zero for both census years.

20002010Change
White95.94%93.98%-2.04%
Hispanic1.5%2.91%94%
Two or More Races1.5%1.87%24.67%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.71%0.73%2.82%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%