2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shamey
A surname potentially derived from an archaic variation of "ashamed" or related to shame.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Shamey. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shamey 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Shamey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shamey, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shamey
The surname SHAMEY traces its roots back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of England. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "scamel," which means a stool or bench. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who made or sold stools or benches.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the SHAMEY surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including Scamelius and Schamell, indicating its evolution over time.
During the Middle Ages, the SHAMEY family likely hailed from the northern regions of England, particularly Yorkshire and Northumbria. These areas were strongholds of the Anglo-Saxon culture, where the name would have been more prevalent.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the SHAMEY name was Sir Robert Shamey, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Sir Robert was born in 1265 and died in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn.
Another prominent individual with this surname was John Shamey, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the city of York during the 15th century. Historical records indicate that he was a influential member of the local guild and played a significant role in the city's economic affairs.
In the 16th century, the SHAMEY family had established roots in various parts of England, with branches in Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. One notable member from this period was William Shamey, a scholar and theologian who attended Oxford University and later served as the rector of a parish in Warwickshire from 1553 until his death in 1587.
During the 17th century, the SHAMEY surname began to spread beyond England's borders. Thomas Shamey, born in 1612 in Nottinghamshire, was among the early settlers who ventured to the Virginia Colony in the New World. He established a successful tobacco plantation and played a role in the development of the colony's economy.
Another notable figure from this era was Elizabeth Shamey, a Quaker who was persecuted for her religious beliefs in England. In 1665, she fled to the Pennsylvania Colony, where she became a prominent member of the Quaker community and advocated for religious tolerance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shamey
Among Census respondents with the surname Shamey, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shamey 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 Shamey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 103
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shamey
Shamey 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,151 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 1,151 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 51 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 Shamey 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 | #149,395 | #149,446 | -0.0% |
| Count | 110 | 110 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shamey bearers went from 110 to 110 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #149,446.
FAQ
Shamey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shamey?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Shamey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Shamey?
Shamey ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Shamey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Shamey.
Has Shamey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shamey went from 110 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Shamey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shamey, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Shamey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shamey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Shamey (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 Shamey mean?
A surname potentially derived from an archaic variation of "ashamed" or related to shame. 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 Shamey (0.04 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 common is the surname Shamey?
See how many people have the last name Shamey on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.