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

Shawley, 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 Shawley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shawley in America

Shawley is the 28777th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shawley surname appeared 827 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shawley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shawley 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 Shawley

The surname Shawley is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words 'sceaga' meaning 'small wood' and 'leah' meaning 'a clearing in a forest'. It is believed to have originated in the county of Gloucestershire during the medieval period, referring to individuals who resided near a small wooded area or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shawley can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 13th century, where it appears as 'de Shawleye'. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.

In the 14th century, the name Shawley was documented in various tax records and legal documents, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and the Court Rolls of Cirencester in 1349. These records often referred to individuals with the name as 'de Shawley' or 'atte Shawley', indicating their connection to a specific location.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name began to take on a more modern form, appearing as 'Shawley' in parish records and other documents. One notable bearer of the name was Richard Shawley (c. 1510-1570), a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire.

In the 17th century, the Shawley family continued to be prominent in Gloucestershire, with several members serving as local officials and justices of the peace. John Shawley (1628-1703) was a notable figure who held the position of High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1682.

As the Shawley family spread across England in subsequent centuries, the name appeared in various records and historical documents. Notable individuals included William Shawley (1768-1842), a prominent merchant and philanthropist in Bristol, and Sir John Shawley (1810-1879), a distinguished military officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Member of Parliament.

Throughout its history, the surname Shawley has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, with many bearers of the name residing in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. While not a widely prevalent surname, it has endured as a distinctive and historically significant name in the English tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shawley

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

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

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

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