2000
#14,219
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,936
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Sheeley
An English occupational surname referring to a person who worked with shells or was a seller of shells.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,066 Americans carry the last name Sheeley. That puts it at #15,607 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheeley 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
2.1K
1 in 165,902
Census rank
#15,607
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,802 bearers of the surname Sheeley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15607th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheeley
The surname Sheeley is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Shilley or Shelley, which was likely a small village or township in the English countryside.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Sheeley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name had already been established in England by the late 11th century.
The name Sheeley is thought to be derived from the Old English words "scylf" or "scylfe," meaning "shelf" or "ledge," and "leah," meaning "woodland clearing" or "meadow." This indicates that the original bearers of the name may have resided in a wooded area with distinctive geological features, such as shelves or ledges.
In the 13th century, records show a Robert de Shilley, who was a prominent landowner in Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the name had already begun to spread beyond its original location by this time.
During the 16th century, variants of the name such as Shelley, Shilley, and Sheley emerged in various historical documents, further cementing the name's presence in England.
One notable individual with the surname Sheeley was Sir John Sheeley (1598-1672), a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War and a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.
Another prominent figure was Mary Shelley (1797-1851), the renowned English novelist best known for her groundbreaking work, "Frankenstein." Although her surname was spelled differently, it is believed to share a common origin with Sheeley.
In the 18th century, records show a William Sheeley (1720-1789), who was a successful merchant and landowner in the county of Yorkshire.
During the 19th century, the Sheeley family had established a presence in various parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Lancashire, Derbyshire, and Lincolnshire.
One notable individual from this period was John Sheeley (1821-1890), a renowned English architect who contributed to the design of several notable buildings in London and other parts of the country.
These examples illustrate the longstanding history and prevalence of the Sheeley surname in England, spanning various regions and encompassing individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheeley
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheeley 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 Sheeley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 1,591
- Black or African American4.3% · 77
- Two or more races3.8% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheeley
Sheeley 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
#15,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,955
+19 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 871 places
2020
#15,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,802
-153 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 517 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,219 | 1,936 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,090 | 1,955 | 0.66 | +19 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 871 places |
| 2020 | #15,607 | 1,802 | 0.60 | -153 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 517 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 Sheeley 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 | #15,090 | #15,607 | -3.4% |
| Count | 1,955 | 1,802 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.60 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheeley bearers went from 1,955 to 1,802 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 517 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,090 to #15,607.
FAQ
Sheeley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheeley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,066 living Americans carry the surname Sheeley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,902 residents.
How common is Sheeley?
Sheeley ranks #15,607 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,802 people with the surname Sheeley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sheeley.
Has Sheeley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheeley went from 1,955 recorded bearers to 1,802. That is a decrease of 153 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,090 to #15,607.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheeley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Sheeley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (1,591 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheeley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Black (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Sheeley (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 Sheeley mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who worked with shells or was a seller of shells. 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 Sheeley (0.60 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 have the last name Sheeley?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Sheeley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.