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

Shakespeare, 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 Shakespeare surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shakespeare in America

Shakespeare is the 60636th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shakespeare surname appeared 332 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 Shakespeare.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shakespeare 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 Shakespeare

The surname Shakespear is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the more common surname "Shakespeare," which is thought to have derived from the Old English words "sycer" meaning "ploughshare" and "spere" meaning "spear." This combination suggests the name may have originally referred to a maker or seller of ploughshares or spears.

One of the earliest known references to the name Shakespear can be found in the Stratford-upon-Avon parish records from the late 16th century, where the surname is spelled as "Shakespear." This variant spelling is believed to have emerged due to the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

In terms of historical figures, the most famous bearer of the surname Shakespear was undoubtedly William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the renowned English playwright, poet, and actor. Although his surname was commonly spelled as "Shakespeare," some records from the time show it spelled as "Shakespear."

Another notable individual with the surname Shakespear was John Shakespear (1775-1858), a British East India Company officer and diplomat who served in various roles in India and the Middle East. He was born in England and played a significant role in establishing British influence in the Persian Gulf region.

In the 19th century, the Shakespear surname is associated with the family of Sir Richmond Campbell Shakespear (1812-1861), a British colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal. His son, Sir Richmond Shakespear (1837-1897), followed in his footsteps and had a distinguished career in the British Indian Army.

Another prominent figure with the Shakespear surname was John Talbot Shakespear (1783-1825), an English painter and engraver who specialized in portraiture and landscapes. He was born in Warwickshire and exhibited his works at the Royal Academy and the British Institution.

Lastly, Sir Ebenezer Shakespear (1790-1858) was a British naval officer and administrator who served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1849 to 1853. He was born in Warwickshire and had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy before taking on administrative roles in the British colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shakespeare

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

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

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

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