Find out how popular the last name Shackelford is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shackelford.

Shackelford, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shackelford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shackelford in America

Shackelford is the 3130th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shackelford surname appeared 11,525 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Shackelford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shackelford to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shackelford

The surname Shackelford originates from England and dates back to the medieval era. It is an Anglo-Saxon name derived from the Old English words "sceacol" meaning shake or rattle, and "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river can be crossed. This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near a ford over a stream or river with a shaky or rickety bridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Schachelford." This ancient manuscript, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land and property in England. The entry likely refers to a location or landowner bearing the name.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to spellings closer to the modern form, such as "Shackelford" and "Shakelford." These variations can be found in various medieval records and charters from counties like Surrey and Buckinghamshire.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Walter de Shackelford, a knight from Shackleford in Surrey, who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, William Shackelford was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He served as Mayor of Bristol in 1576.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain John Shackelford fought for the Parliamentarian forces against King Charles I. He was killed in action at the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643.

Another individual of note was Reverend Samuel Shackelford, a Baptist minister born in Virginia in 1770. He was an influential figure in the early years of the Baptist movement in the American colonies.

In the 19th century, Sir Edward Shackelford was a British diplomat and administrator who served as Governor of the Bahamas from 1854 to 1857.

These examples illustrate the long history and geographical spread of the Shackelford surname, which has its roots in the rural landscapes of medieval England but has been carried by individuals of various professions and accomplishments throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shackelford

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shackelford.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shackelford was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shackelford has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shackelford was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shackelford, please contact us.

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