NameCensus.

UK surname

Schuster

An occupational surname referring to a shoemaker or cobbler, derived from the German word "Schuster" meaning "shoemaker."

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Schuster surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 226, ranked #18,044, up from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wilmslow and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Kensington and Chelsea and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Schuster is 228 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 189.7%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

226

2016, ranked #18,044

Peak year

2015

228 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Schuster had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016, ranked #18,044.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 172 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Schuster surname distribution map

The map shows where the Schuster surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Schuster surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Schuster over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 26 #28,667
1861 historical 26 #30,677
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 117 #20,830
1911 historical 172 #16,408
1997 modern 209 #17,157
1998 modern 207 #17,749
1999 modern 224 #16,984
2000 modern 213 #17,503
2001 modern 199 #17,996
2002 modern 198 #18,410
2003 modern 195 #18,411
2004 modern 210 #17,644
2005 modern 205 #17,838
2006 modern 200 #18,294
2007 modern 210 #17,904
2008 modern 220 #17,544
2009 modern 219 #17,960
2010 modern 223 #18,096
2011 modern 219 #18,145
2012 modern 217 #18,184
2013 modern 223 #18,135
2014 modern 223 #18,279
2015 modern 228 #17,899
2016 modern 226 #18,044

Geography

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Where Schusters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wilmslow, Manchester and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Kensington and Chelsea, Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth and Malvern Hills. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wilmslow Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 002 Mendip
2 Kensington and Chelsea 011 Kensington and Chelsea
3 Bath and North East Somerset 022 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Bournemouth 019 Bournemouth
5 Malvern Hills 006 Malvern Hills

Forenames

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First names often paired with Schuster

These lists show first names that appear often with the Schuster surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Schuster

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Schuster, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Schuster surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Schuster household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Schuster is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Schuster is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Schuster falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Schuster is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Schuster, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Schuster

The surname "Schuster" is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "schuochsuter," which means "shoemaker" or "cobbler." This occupational surname first appeared in the 13th century in various regions of present-day Germany.

The name is believed to have originated in the cities and towns where shoemaking was a prominent trade, such as Nuremberg, Munich, and other urban centers in southern Germany. The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in medieval tax records and guild registers from these areas.

One of the earliest documented uses of the name "Schuster" dates back to 1295, in a record from the city of Cologne, where a certain "Johannes Schuster" was mentioned as a resident. Another early reference is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, which mentions a "Henricus Schuster" in 1332.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Schuster," "Schustermann," and "Schustermeister," reflecting the different regional variations and the hierarchy within the shoemaking profession.

Notable individuals with the surname "Schuster" throughout history include Johann Schuster (1472-1539), a German theologian and reformer who was a close associate of Martin Luther. Another prominent figure was Christian Schuster (1523-1584), a German composer and music theorist known for his work on musical notation.

In the 18th century, Johann Schuster (1777-1838) was a German painter and engraver who specialized in landscape and architectural subjects. A century later, Max Schuster (1870-1933) was a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the publishing house that would later become known as Simon & Schuster.

More recently, Albert Schuster (1905-1977) was a German-American physicist who made significant contributions to the study of cosmic rays and the development of particle detectors.

While these are just a few examples, the surname "Schuster" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, reflecting the importance of the shoemaking trade in German culture and society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Schuster families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Schuster surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 27 Schusters recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.55x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 27 3.55x
Cheshire 12 7.15x
Lancashire 10 1.11x
Gloucestershire 9 6.03x
Worcestershire 6 6.04x
Surrey 5 1.35x
Staffordshire 2 0.78x
Sussex 2 1.56x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.08x
Devon 1 0.63x
Dorset 1 2.00x
Rutland 1 17.89x
Warwickshire 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hampstead London in Middlesex leads with 10 Schusters recorded in 1881 and an index of 84.39x.

Place Total Index
Hampstead London 10 84.39x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 49.82x
Chorley In Macclesfield 6 1176.47x
Dudley 6 49.67x
Fulshaw 6 1935.48x
Hackney London 6 14.07x
Lambeth 5 7.54x
Clerkenwell London 4 22.27x
St Marylebone London 4 9.85x
Haughton 3 227.27x
Bristol St Paul In 2 50.38x
Broadwater 2 68.03x
Oswaldtwistle 2 62.70x
Tettenhall 2 127.39x
Ulverston 2 76.05x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 14.71x
Bere Regis 1 303.03x
Kensington London 1 2.36x
Manchester 1 2.46x
Monks Kirby 1 238.10x
St Mary Le Strand 1 416.67x
St Pancras London 1 1.63x
St Peter Cambridge 1 625.00x
Tormoham 1 14.93x
Uppingham 1 149.25x
Withington 1 34.36x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Schuster surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Schuster surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Schuster surname: questions and answers

How common was the Schuster surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Schuster surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Schuster surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016. That gives Schuster a modern rank of #18,044.

What does the Schuster surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a shoemaker or cobbler, derived from the German word "Schuster" meaning "shoemaker."

What does the Schuster map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Schuster bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.