2000
#9,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,226
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Shamblin
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "ledge on a hillside" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,565 Americans carry the last name Shamblin. That puts it at #9,911 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,144 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shamblin 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
3.6K
1 in 96,144
Census rank
#9,911
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,109 bearers of the surname Shamblin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9911th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shamblin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shamblin
The surname Shamblin is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English word "sceamol," meaning "a bench or footstool," combined with the suffix "-ing," indicating "a place of." This suggests that the name may have referred to a particular location, possibly a settlement near a prominent bench or elevated landform.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from the late 12th century, where a certain William de Shambling is mentioned. This spelling variation indicates the name's evolution over time. The Suffolk Hundred Rolls from 1275 also document a John Shamblyng, further solidifying the name's presence in medieval England.
In the 14th century, the Shamblin name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, where a Richard Schamelyn is recorded. This spelling variation highlights the potential connection to the Old English word "sceamol," suggesting the name's origins as a descriptor of a person or place associated with a bench or footstool.
Historical records from the 16th century reveal a John Shamblen, born in 1534 in Wiltshire, England. Another notable figure was William Shamblin, born in 1592 in Somerset, who played a role in the English Civil War as a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.
During the 17th century, the Shamblin name gained prominence in various parts of England. One notable individual was Robert Shamblin, born in 1632 in Gloucestershire, who became a successful merchant and landowner. Another was Elizabeth Shamblin, born in 1657 in Worcestershire, who was a prominent member of the Quaker community.
As the centuries progressed, the Shamblin name continued to spread across England, with notable individuals such as John Shamblin, a renowned clockmaker born in 1735 in Lincolnshire, and Mary Shamblin, a celebrated author born in 1812 in Derbyshire.
The Shamblin surname has also been associated with several place names in England, including Shamblehurst in Hampshire and Shamblesby in Lincolnshire, which may have contributed to the name's origins or served as early settlements for those bearing the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shamblin
Among Census respondents with the surname Shamblin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shamblin 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 Shamblin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 2,712
- Two or more races5.3% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 86
- Black or African American1.0% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shamblin
Shamblin 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
#9,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,501
+275 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 5 places
2020
#9,911
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,109
-392 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 614 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,292 | 3,226 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,297 | 3,501 | 1.19 | +275 bearers (+8.5%) | Down 5 places |
| 2020 | #9,911 | 3,109 | 1.04 | -392 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 614 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 Shamblin 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 | #9,297 | #9,911 | -6.6% |
| Count | 3,501 | 3,109 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.04 | -12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shamblin bearers went from 3,501 to 3,109 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 614 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,297 to #9,911.
FAQ
Shamblin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shamblin?
Name Census estimates that about 3,565 living Americans carry the surname Shamblin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,144 residents.
How common is Shamblin?
Shamblin ranks #9,911 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,109 people with the surname Shamblin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,565), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Shamblin.
Has Shamblin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shamblin went from 3,501 recorded bearers to 3,109. That is a decrease of 392 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,297 to #9,911.
What does the Census say about the background of Shamblin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shamblin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Shamblin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (2,712 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shamblin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Shamblin (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 Shamblin mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "ledge on a hillside" in Old English. 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 Shamblin (1.04 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 people share the surname Shamblin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.