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

Shankle, 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 Shankle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shankle in America

Shankle is the 10653rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shankle surname appeared 3,003 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Shankle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shankle 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 Shankle

The surname Shankle originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sceanca" meaning shank or leg, and "hyll" meaning hill or ridge, possibly referring to a person who lived on or near a prominent hill or ridge.

The earliest recorded examples of the Shankle surname date back to the 13th century in various county records and tax rolls across England. Variations of the spelling included Shankhill, Shankhyll, and Shankele. One of the earliest known bearers was John de Shankhill, listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301.

During the 14th century, the Shankle name appeared in several manorial records and property deeds across various regions of England. In 1379, a William Shankhill was recorded as a landowner in the village of Billinghay, Lincolnshire. The name also surfaced in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, where a Robert de Shankhill was listed as a taxpayer.

As the surname spread across England, different regional variations emerged, such as Shankland in the north and Shankley in the northwest. One notable bearer was Sir Thomas Shankland, a Scottish landowner and knight who lived in the late 15th century and served as a courtier to King James IV of Scotland.

In the 16th century, the Shankle name continued to be recorded in various records, including parish registers and wills. A notable example is John Shankley, born in 1543 in Lancashire, who was a respected landowner and local magistrate. Another was Robert Shankland, born in 1587 in Berwickshire, Scotland, who served as a prominent merchant and alderman in Edinburgh.

The 17th century saw further instances of the Shankle name across various regions of England and Scotland. One notable bearer was William Shankley, born in 1624 in Lancashire, who was a respected clergyman and author of several religious texts. Another was James Shankland, born in 1671 in Ayrshire, Scotland, who was a successful merchant and landowner.

As the centuries progressed, the Shankle surname continued to be well-represented across various professions and walks of life, with several notable individuals emerging from different branches of the family tree. These include Sir John Shankley, born in 1815 in Yorkshire, who was a renowned military officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross for his bravery in the Crimean War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shankle

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

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

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

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