2000
#13,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Sheely
Derived from a place name meaning "shelf-like ridge" or from an occupational name for a maker of wooden bowls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,398 Americans carry the last name Sheely. That puts it at #13,843 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,933 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheely 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
2.4K
1 in 142,933
Census rank
#13,843
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,091 bearers of the surname Sheely in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13843rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheely, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheely
The surname Sheely has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "sile," meaning "seed" or "offspring," indicating a connection to fertility or abundance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The name appears in entries dating back to the late 1500s, suggesting its presence in the Irish population at that time.
In the early 17th century, the surname Sheely was particularly prominent in County Cork, where it was associated with several landholding families. Records from this period often show variations in spelling, such as Sheeley, Sheely, and Sheehy.
Notable individuals bearing the Sheely surname include:
1. Brian Sheely (c. 1580-1650), a landowner and local chieftain in County Cork during the 17th century Irish Rebellion.
2. Mary Sheely (c. 1620-1698), an influential figure in the Irish Catholic community of County Limerick during the 17th century.
3. Seamus Sheely (1745-1825), a renowned poet and storyteller from County Mayo, renowned for his contributions to the preservation of Irish folklore.
The Sheely name has also been linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Sheely's Cross in County Tipperary and Sheely's Glen in County Cork. These place names likely originated from families or individuals bearing the surname who resided in or held influence over these areas.
In the 19th century, the Sheely surname gained prominence beyond Ireland, as many Irish immigrants brought the name to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. Notable figures from this period include:
1. Michael Sheely (1825-1901), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts State Legislature.
2. Jane Sheely (1853-1932), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Ontario, Canada.
While the Sheely surname may not be as widespread as some other Irish surnames, its historical roots and connections to various regions of Ireland, as well as its presence in notable figures throughout the centuries, underscore its enduring significance within Irish cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheely
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheely, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheely 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 Sheely surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 1,737
- Black or African American9.2% · 192
- Two or more races3.4% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheely
Sheely 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
#13,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,241
+108 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 392 places
2020
#13,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,091
-150 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 307 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,144 | 2,133 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,536 | 2,241 | 0.76 | +108 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 392 places |
| 2020 | #13,843 | 2,091 | 0.70 | -150 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 307 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 Sheely 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 | #13,536 | #13,843 | -2.3% |
| Count | 2,241 | 2,091 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.70 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheely bearers went from 2,241 to 2,091 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 307 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,536 to #13,843.
FAQ
Sheely surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheely?
Name Census estimates that about 2,398 living Americans carry the surname Sheely. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,933 residents.
How common is Sheely?
Sheely ranks #13,843 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,091 people with the surname Sheely. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,398), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Sheely.
Has Sheely become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheely went from 2,241 recorded bearers to 2,091. That is a decrease of 150 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,536 to #13,843.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheely?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheely, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Sheely in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (1,737 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheely appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Black (9.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Sheely (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 Sheely mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "shelf-like ridge" or from an occupational name for a maker of wooden bowls. 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 Sheely (0.70 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 surname Sheely?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.