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

Shealy, 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 Shealy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shealy in America

Shealy is the 7224th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shealy surname appeared 4,620 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Shealy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shealy 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 Shealy

The surname Shealy is believed to have originated in Germany during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Low German word "schele," which means "squinting" or "cross-eyed." This likely referred to a distinguishing physical characteristic of one of the earliest bearers of the name, which was then passed down through generations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shealy name can be found in the records of the town of Koblenz, located along the Rhine River in present-day Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. A record from the year 1489 mentions a certain Johannes Schele, who may have been one of the first individuals to carry the surname.

As the surname spread throughout Germany, it underwent various spelling changes, including Schele, Scheele, and Scheele. These variations were common due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling rules at the time.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many German families, including those bearing the Shealy surname, immigrated to North America, particularly to the British colonies along the eastern seaboard. One notable early bearer of the name was Johann Jacob Shealy, who was born in Germany around 1720 and later settled in Pennsylvania.

In the United States, the Shealy surname has been particularly prominent in the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and South Carolina. Several individuals with this last name have made significant contributions throughout history, including:

1. John Shealy (1795-1879), a prominent lawyer and politician from South Carolina who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1825 to 1829.

2. Mary Shealy (1784-1852), an American pioneer and early settler in Kentucky, known for her role in defending her family's homestead during an attack by Native Americans in 1789.

3. Martin Shealy (1820-1895), a farmer and businessman from Newberry County, South Carolina, who served as a captain in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

4. William Shealy (1860-1937), an American businessman and philanthropist from Lexington County, South Carolina, who donated land and funds for the establishment of several schools and churches in the area.

5. Jacob Shealy (1832-1905), a minister and educator from Pennsylvania, who served as the president of Ursinus College, a liberal arts college in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, from 1892 to 1904.

While the Shealy surname has its roots in Germany, it has become well-established in various parts of the United States, particularly in the southern states, where many early German immigrants settled and made significant contributions to their communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shealy

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!