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

Shae, 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 Shae surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shae in America

Shae is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shae surname appeared 172 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shae.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shae 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 Shae

The surname Shae is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic word "sìth," which means "peace" or "tranquility." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone known for their peaceful demeanor or someone who lived in a particularly serene or tranquil area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shae can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish noblemen who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Shae" in these rolls, indicating its presence in Scotland during the 13th century.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named John Shae was mentioned in the records of the St. Andrews Parish in Scotland. He was a landowner and a prominent member of the local community. Additionally, the name Shae appeared in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were financial records maintained by the Scottish government during the 15th and 16th centuries.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to include variations such as "Schae" and "Schæ." These alternative spellings were commonly found in various historical records and documents from that time period, reflecting the linguistic changes and regional influences on the name.

A famous bearer of the surname Shae was William Shae (1655-1718), a Scottish philosopher and writer who authored several works on moral philosophy and ethics. He was a renowned figure in his time and contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of the era.

Another notable individual was Robert Shae (1793-1867), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland. His work was highly regarded, and he left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of the country.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure named Margaret Shae (1821-1897) made her mark as a philanthropist and social reformer. She dedicated her life to improving the lives of the underprivileged and advocating for education and women's rights in Scotland.

The surname Shae can also be traced back to various place names in Scotland, such as Shaehill and Shaefield, further cementing its Scottish origins. These place names likely derived from the same Gaelic root as the surname and may have influenced the name's development and spread across the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shae

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

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 Shae 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 Shae 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 Shae was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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