2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Shapter
A surname likely derived from the Old English word "sceppere" meaning shepherd or sheep herder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Shapter. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shapter 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Shapter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Shapter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shapter, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shapter
The surname Shapter is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "sceap-hierde," which translates to "sheep herder." The name was initially associated with individuals who worked as shepherds or those who lived in areas known for sheep farming.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Shapter appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated around 1273. This document lists a Robert le Shaphurd, indicating the alternative spelling "Shaphurd" was used during that period. The name was also found in various medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it was written as "Shephurde."
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Shapter, born around 1450 in Somerset, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a local magistrate in his county. Another notable figure was William Shapter, born in 1555 in Dorset, who was a renowned scholar and author of several religious texts during the Elizabethan era.
In the 17th century, the Shapter family established roots in the county of Devon, where they owned estates and held positions of influence. Sir Thomas Shapter, born in 1620, was a respected lawyer and served as a Member of Parliament for Tavistock in 1673.
The name Shapter was also associated with the village of Shapter in Somerset, which derived its name from the Old English "sceap-tun," meaning "sheep farm." This connection further reinforces the link between the surname and its pastoral origins.
Other significant individuals with the surname Shapter include:
1. Robert Shapter (1705-1782), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Bath, England.
2. Edward Shapter (1785-1859), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.
3. Henry Shapter (1820-1892), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious and historical topics.
4. Winifred Shapter (1876-1958), a pioneering female architect known for her work on residential and educational buildings in the early 20th century.
5. Thomas Shapter (1809-1876), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who established several charitable foundations in Bristol.
Throughout its history, the surname Shapter has maintained its connection to its pastoral roots, reflecting the occupations and lifestyles of its earliest bearers. While the name has evolved over time, its enduring presence in various regions of England serves as a testament to its longevity and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shapter
Among Census respondents with the surname Shapter, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shapter 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 Shapter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shapter
Shapter 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-18 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,959 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 725 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 26,959 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 725 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 Shapter 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 | #154,907 | #154,182 | 0.5% |
| Count | 105 | 103 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shapter bearers went from 105 to 103 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 725 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,182.
FAQ
Shapter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shapter?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Shapter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Shapter?
Shapter ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Shapter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Shapter.
Has Shapter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shapter went from 105 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Shapter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shapter, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Shapter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shapter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Hispanic (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Shapter (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 Shapter mean?
A surname likely derived from the Old English word "sceppere" meaning shepherd or sheep herder. 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 Shapter (0.03 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 Shapter?
Want to know how many people have the last name Shapter? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.