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

Shale, 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 Shale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shale in America

Shale is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shale surname appeared 147 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 Shale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shale 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 Shale

The surname SHALE has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "sceal," meaning a shell or husk, or the Middle English word "shale," referring to a type of sedimentary rock. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for someone who worked with shells or shale.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SHALE can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1202, where it is listed as "Randulf de Shale." This indicates that the name was already established in the region by the early 13th century. Another early reference is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1293, which mentions a "Richard de Shale."

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, including "Shalle," "Shele," and "Shele." These variations may have been influenced by local dialects or scribal errors. One notable example is John de Shale, a prominent landowner in Somerset who was recorded in 1327.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the SHALE surname continued to spread throughout England. Notable individuals from this period include William Shale, a merchant from London who was involved in the Virginia Company in the early 1600s, and Thomas Shale, a clergyman from Oxfordshire who was born in 1584.

In the 18th century, the SHALE name appears in various parish records and historical documents. One example is John Shale, a farmer from Gloucestershire who was born in 1712. Another is Samuel Shale, a notable printer and bookseller from London who lived from 1737 to 1808.

As the Industrial Revolution progressed in the 19th century, the SHALE surname became more widespread across various industries and professions. One notable figure was Robert Shale, a civil engineer from Staffordshire who was born in 1828 and worked on several railway projects.

Throughout history, the SHALE surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Shale Hill in Staffordshire and Shale Farm in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its connection to the geological term.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shale

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!