2000
#41,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 497
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Shames
A surname derived from the Middle English word "shame," possibly referring to someone with a bashful or modest nature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 593 Americans carry the last name Shames. That puts it at #44,679 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 578,001 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shames 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
593
1 in 578,001
Census rank
#44,679
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
517
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 517 bearers of the surname Shames in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44679th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shames, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shames
The surname SHAMES has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in areas of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus. It is believed to have derived from the Hebrew word "shammash," which translates to "servant" or "caretaker," often referring to individuals responsible for maintaining synagogues or Jewish community centers.
One of the earliest documented references to the SHAMES surname can be found in the Kahal (Jewish community) records of the town of Pinsk, located in modern-day Belarus, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention individuals with the surname SHAMES, who were likely employed as caretakers or servants within the local Jewish community.
In the 17th century, the SHAMES surname appeared in various Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth records, reflecting the migration of Jewish communities from Ukraine and Belarus to other parts of Eastern Europe. Notable individuals from this period include Yitzhak SHAMES, a renowned Torah scholar born in Vilnius (now in Lithuania) in 1628.
As the Jewish diaspora spread across Europe and beyond, the SHAMES surname traveled with them. In the 18th century, records show individuals with this surname residing in Germany, particularly in the city of Frankfurt. One such individual was Moshe SHAMES, a prominent merchant and community leader born in 1742.
With the rise of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, many SHAMES families found themselves living within its borders. One notable figure was Aron SHAMES, a prominent rabbi and author from the city of Odessa (now in Ukraine), who lived from 1812 to 1888.
As Jewish communities migrated to the Americas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the SHAMES surname also took root in various parts of North America. Some notable individuals from this period include Isaac SHAMES, a successful businessman and philanthropist born in Montreal, Canada, in 1865, and Sarah SHAMES, a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, born in New York City in 1887.
Throughout its history, the SHAMES surname has been associated with individuals who played important roles in their respective Jewish communities, whether as religious leaders, scholars, or influential figures in various fields. While the name's origins can be traced back to Eastern Europe, it has since spread worldwide, reflecting the diaspora of Jewish communities over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shames
Among Census respondents with the surname Shames, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Shames 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 Shames surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 467
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 21
- Two or more races2.5% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 10
- Black or African American0.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shames
Shames 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
#48,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 439
-58 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 6,840 places
2020
#44,679
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 517
+78 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 3,481 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #41,320 | 497 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,160 | 439 | 0.15 | -58 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 6,840 places |
| 2020 | #44,679 | 517 | 0.17 | +78 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 3,481 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 Shames 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 | #48,160 | #44,679 | 7.2% |
| Count | 439 | 517 | 17.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.17 | 15.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shames bearers went from 439 to 517 (+17.8% change). The surname moved up 3,481 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,160 to #44,679.
FAQ
Shames surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shames?
Name Census estimates that about 593 living Americans carry the surname Shames. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 578,001 residents.
How common is Shames?
Shames ranks #44,679 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 517 people with the surname Shames. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (593), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Shames.
Has Shames become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shames went from 439 recorded bearers to 517. That is an increase of 78 (+17.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #48,160 to #44,679.
What does the Census say about the background of Shames?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shames, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Shames in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (467 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shames appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Shames (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 Shames mean?
A surname derived from the Middle English word "shame," possibly referring to someone with a bashful or modest nature. 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 Shames (0.17 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 common is the surname Shames?
Find out how many people have the surname Shames on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.