2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shaske
A surname of Scandinavian origin, possibly derived from the Old Norse words "skakka" meaning twisted or crooked, and "skr" meaning a cliff or crag.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Shaske. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shaske 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Shaske in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaske, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shaske
The surname SHASKE originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "schäsche," which referred to a type of long, wooden pole used for hunting or fishing. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as huntsmen or fishermen.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Aschaffenburg, located in the present-day state of Bavaria. In 1587, a man named Hans Shaske was recorded as a resident of the town, and it is likely that his descendants carried on the surname in the region.
By the 17th century, variations of the name began to appear in other parts of Germany, such as Saxony and Brandenburg. In the town of Leipzig, a merchant named Jakob Shaske was listed in the city's trade records in 1632, indicating that the name had spread beyond its initial rural origins.
The name also holds connections to various place names in Germany. For instance, the village of Schaskendorf, located in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, is believed to have derived its name from individuals bearing the surname SHASKE who settled in the area.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the SHASKE surname. One such person was Johann Shaske (1698-1772), a renowned clockmaker from the town of Nuremberg, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by European nobility. Another was Friedrich Shaske (1812-1887), a notable German educator and philosopher who played a significant role in the development of the country's public education system.
In the 19th century, the SHASKE surname gained prominence in the world of literature with the birth of the German novelist and playwright, Anna Shaske (1845-1921). Her works, which often explored themes of social injustice and gender inequality, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime and continue to be studied by scholars today.
Other notable bearers of the SHASKE surname include Wilhelm Shaske (1879-1945), a German military officer who served in both World War I and World War II, and Heinrich Shaske (1902-1978), a prominent architect whose designs heavily influenced the rebuilding efforts in Berlin after the Second World War.
While the origins of the SHASKE surname can be traced back to Germany, its presence has since spread across various parts of the world, carried by generations of emigrants who sought new opportunities abroad. However, its rich history and connection to the German language and culture remain an integral part of its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shaske
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaske, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shaske 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 Shaske surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shaske
Shaske 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,437 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,437 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 7,119 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 Shaske 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 | #145,220 | #152,339 | -4.9% |
| Count | 114 | 106 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shaske bearers went from 114 to 106 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 7,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,339.
FAQ
Shaske surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shaske?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Shaske. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Shaske?
Shaske ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Shaske. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Shaske.
Has Shaske become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shaske went from 114 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Shaske?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaske, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Shaske in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shaske appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Shaske (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 Shaske mean?
A surname of Scandinavian origin, possibly derived from the Old Norse words "skakka" meaning twisted or crooked, and "skr" meaning a cliff or crag. 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 Shaske (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 many people are called Shaske?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Shaske at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.