2000
#13,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,068
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Shadle
An English occupational surname derived from the Middle English "shadel," referring to a maker or seller of sheds.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,322 Americans carry the last name Shadle. That puts it at #14,233 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,612 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shadle 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
2.3K
1 in 147,612
Census rank
#14,233
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,025 bearers of the surname Shadle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14233rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shadle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shadle
The surname Shadle is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Schädel," which means "skull" or "cranium." This etymology suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname, perhaps referring to a distinctive physical characteristic or an occupation related to medical practices or skeletal studies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a medieval manuscript compiled in the late 12th century, which mentions a person named "Conradus Schadel" in the year 1196. This document provides evidence of the name's existence and its early spelling variations.
The Shadle surname may also have connections to specific geographical locations in Germany. Some historians suggest that it could be associated with the town of Schädel, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, or the village of Schadeleben in Saxony-Anhalt. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa.
Notable individuals bearing the Shadle surname throughout history include Johann Schädel (1482-1540), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of planetary motion. Another prominent figure was Hans Schädel (1510-1592), a German Renaissance painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.
In the 18th century, Johann Gottfried Schädel (1736-1796) was a German theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on moral philosophy and ethics. During the same period, Johann Heinrich Schädel (1753-1823) was a German botanist and physician who made valuable contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.
Moving into the 19th century, Karl Friedrich Schädel (1821-1892) was a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development of modern city planning principles. His designs and urban renewal projects had a lasting impact on various German cities.
While the Shadle surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other countries. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and origins of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shadle
Among Census respondents with the surname Shadle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Shadle 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 Shadle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 1,850
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 82
- Two or more races2.6% · 52
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shadle
Shadle 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
#13,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,169
+101 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 434 places
2020
#14,233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,025
-144 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 311 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,488 | 2,068 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,922 | 2,169 | 0.74 | +101 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 434 places |
| 2020 | #14,233 | 2,025 | 0.68 | -144 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 311 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 Shadle 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 | #13,922 | #14,233 | -2.2% |
| Count | 2,169 | 2,025 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.68 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shadle bearers went from 2,169 to 2,025 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 311 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,922 to #14,233.
FAQ
Shadle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shadle?
Name Census estimates that about 2,322 living Americans carry the surname Shadle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,612 residents.
How common is Shadle?
Shadle ranks #14,233 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,025 people with the surname Shadle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,322), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Shadle.
Has Shadle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shadle went from 2,169 recorded bearers to 2,025. That is a decrease of 144 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,922 to #14,233.
What does the Census say about the background of Shadle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shadle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Shadle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (1,850 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shadle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Shadle (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 Shadle mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the Middle English "shadel," referring to a maker or seller of sheds. 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 Shadle (0.68 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 Shadle?
See how many people have the last name Shadle on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.