2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Shaben
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "sceap" meaning shepherd.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Shaben. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shaben 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Shaben in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaben, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shaben
The surname Shaben is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "schaben," which means "to scrape" or "to shave." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with occupations such as woodworkers or barbers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shaben can be found in the Biberacher Urkundenbuch, a collection of documents from the town of Biberach an der Riss in southwestern Germany, dating back to the year 1292. The name appears as "Schaben," referring to a resident of the town.
In the 14th century, the name Shaben began to spread beyond its German origins. Historical records from Switzerland mention individuals with the surname Schaben, likely indicating migration or trade connections between the two regions.
During the 16th century, the name Shaben appeared in various forms, including Schaben, Schaeben, and Schabin, across various regions of Germany and neighboring countries. This suggests that the name had become more widely established and recognized.
One notable individual bearing the surname Shaben was Johann Schaben, a German painter and engraver who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works, primarily religious in nature, can be found in various churches and collections throughout Germany.
Another historical figure with the surname Shaben was Johann Georg Schaben, a German architect and builder who lived in the 18th century. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in the Rhineland region, including churches and public structures.
In the 19th century, the name Shaben continued to be found throughout Germany and parts of central Europe. One notable individual from this period was Friedrich Schaben, a German philosopher and writer born in 1828. He authored several works exploring metaphysical and existential themes.
As the 20th century approached, the name Shaben began to spread further due to increased migration and global connections. Hans Schaben, a German-born artist and sculptor who emigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, became known for his works depicting scenes from Native American life.
It's worth noting that while the surname Shaben has its roots in Germany, it has since been adopted and carried by families in various parts of the world, with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shaben
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaben, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shaben 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 Shaben surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shaben
Shaben appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+7 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,227 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.9%) | Up 8,227 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 Shaben 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 | #158,432 | #150,205 | 5.2% |
| Count | 102 | 109 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shaben bearers went from 102 to 109 (+6.9% change). The surname moved up 8,227 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #150,205.
FAQ
Shaben surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shaben?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Shaben. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Shaben?
Shaben ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Shaben. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Shaben.
Has Shaben become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shaben went from 102 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 7 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Shaben?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaben, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Shaben in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shaben appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Shaben (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 Shaben mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "sceap" meaning shepherd. 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 Shaben (0.04 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 Shaben?
Find out how many people have the last name Shaben on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.