2000
#62,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 302
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Shala
A variant spelling of an Albanian surname indicating someone from the village of Shala.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 892 Americans carry the last name Shala. That puts it at #31,833 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 384,254 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shala 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Shala with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
892
1 in 384,254
Census rank
#31,833
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
778
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 778 bearers of the surname Shala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31833rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shala, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shala
The surname SHALA is believed to have its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of what is now Pakistan and India. It is thought to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name SHALA is likely derived from the Sanskrit word "shala," which means "house," "dwelling," or "abode." This suggests that the surname may have been originally associated with a particular family or clan that resided in a specific area or settlement.
One of the earliest known references to the name SHALA can be found in the Mughal Empire's administrative records from the 16th century. These records mention individuals with the surname SHALA holding positions within the imperial bureaucracy or serving as local officials in various regions.
In the 17th century, there are accounts of a prominent SHALA family residing in the city of Lahore, which was a major cultural and intellectual center during the Mughal era. This family is said to have produced several scholars and poets who contributed to the literary and artistic traditions of the time.
An important figure bearing the surname SHALA was Malik Shala ud-Din (1292-1344), a distinguished military leader and statesman who served under the Delhi Sultanate. He is renowned for his successful campaigns against invading Mongol forces and his efforts to strengthen the defenses of the Delhi Sultanate's territories.
Another notable individual with the SHALA surname was Shala Khan (1648-1718), a Mughal-era poet and writer who authored several works in Persian and Urdu. He was celebrated for his mastery of language and his contributions to the development of Urdu literature.
In the 18th century, the SHALA surname can be found in records from the region of Punjab, where it is associated with landowners and influential families. One such individual was Shala Singh (1720-1784), a prominent landowner and community leader who played a significant role in local affairs.
During the British colonial period in India, the SHALA surname continued to be present among various communities and regions. One notable figure was Shala Nath (1856-1932), a respected scholar and educator who contributed to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian knowledge systems.
Overall, the surname SHALA has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in the cultural and social fabric of the Indian subcontinent. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, and it has been associated with influential families, scholars, poets, and community leaders throughout its long and storied past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shala
Among Census respondents with the surname Shala, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Shala 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 Shala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 747
- Black or African American1.8% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 9
- Two or more races0.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shala
Shala 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
#47,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 450
+148 bearers (+49.0%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 14,860 places
2020
#31,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 778
+328 bearers (+72.9%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 15,353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,046 | 302 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #47,186 | 450 | 0.15 | +148 bearers (+49.0%) | Up 14,860 places |
| 2020 | #31,833 | 778 | 0.26 | +328 bearers (+72.9%) | Up 15,353 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 Shala 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 | #47,186 | #31,833 | 32.5% |
| Count | 450 | 778 | 72.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.26 | 73.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shala bearers went from 450 to 778 (+72.9% change). The surname moved up 15,353 positions in the national ranking, going from #47,186 to #31,833.
FAQ
Shala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shala?
Name Census estimates that about 892 living Americans carry the surname Shala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 384,254 residents.
How common is Shala?
Shala ranks #31,833 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 778 people with the surname Shala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (892), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Shala.
Has Shala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shala went from 450 recorded bearers to 778. That is an increase of 328 (+72.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #47,186 to #31,833.
What does the Census say about the background of Shala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shala, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Shala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (747 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), Black (1.8%), Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Shala (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 Shala mean?
A variant spelling of an Albanian surname indicating someone from the village of Shala. 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 Shala (0.26 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 have the last name Shala?
Want to know how many people have the last name Shala? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.