2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Shager
Of German origin, an occupational surname referring to a woodcutter or lumberjack.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Shager. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shager 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Shager in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shager, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shager
The surname SHAGER is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "schäger," which means "shepherd" or "one who tends to sheep." This suggests that the surname may have been initially given to individuals who worked as shepherds or had some association with the sheep farming industry.
In the early days, surnames were often derived from occupations, and SHAGER likely followed this tradition. The name's roots can be traced back to various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony, where sheep farming was a prevalent occupation during that time period.
One of the earliest documented references to the surname SHAGER can be found in the parish records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in Bavaria, Germany. The records from the late 16th century mention a certain Johannes SHAGER, who was a local resident and likely worked as a shepherd or in a related occupation.
As the surname spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, variations in spelling began to emerge. Some of the earliest documented spellings include Schäger, Schager, and Shaeger. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the scribes' interpretations of the name.
In the 17th century, a notable individual bearing the surname SHAGER was Hans SHAGER, a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Nuremberg. Born in 1624, Hans SHAGER established a successful trading business and acquired significant wealth, becoming a respected figure in the local community.
Another noteworthy individual was Johann Michael SHAGER, a renowned clockmaker from the town of Schwabach in Bavaria. Born in 1698, Johann Michael SHAGER was renowned for his intricate and innovative clock designs, which were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy patrons of the time.
Moving into the 18th century, the SHAGER surname gained further recognition with the birth of Friedrich Wilhelm SHAGER in 1757. Friedrich was a prominent scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of ethics and moral philosophy during the Enlightenment period.
In the 19th century, the SHAGER name was associated with the arts and literature. One such individual was Karl SHAGER, a celebrated German poet and writer born in 1822 in the city of Dresden. Karl SHAGER's works explored themes of nature, love, and the human experience, earning him a place among the notable literary figures of his time.
Throughout its history, the surname SHAGER has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from humble shepherds to respected merchants, artisans, and intellectuals. While the name's origins can be traced back to Germany, its bearers have undoubtedly left their mark across different regions and spheres of influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shager
Among Census respondents with the surname Shager, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Shager 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 Shager surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.0% · 92
- Black or African American15.7% · 18
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shager
Shager 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-7 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,915 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-8 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,308 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 13,915 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 9,308 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 Shager 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 | #136,449 | #145,757 | -6.8% |
| Count | 123 | 115 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shager bearers went from 123 to 115 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 9,308 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #145,757.
FAQ
Shager surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shager?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Shager. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Shager?
Shager ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Shager. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Shager.
Has Shager become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shager went from 123 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Shager?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shager, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Shager in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shager appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.0%), Black (15.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Shager (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 Shager mean?
Of German origin, an occupational surname referring to a woodcutter or lumberjack. 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 Shager (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 Americans have the surname Shager?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.