2000
#36,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 576
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Rare Last name
Shehata
An Arabic surname meaning prosperous or affluent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,124 Americans carry the last name Shehata. That puts it at #15,262 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,372 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shehata 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 161,372
Census rank
#15,262
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,852 bearers of the surname Shehata in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15262nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shehata, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shehata
The surname SHEHATA is of Arabic origin, originating from Egypt in the Middle East. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "shahat," which means "convalescence" or "recovery from illness." The earliest known records of this surname date back to the 12th century in Egypt.
During the medieval period, the name SHEHATA appeared in several Arabic manuscripts and historical records. One notable reference is found in the chronicles of Ibn Khaldun, a renowned historian from the 14th century, who mentioned a prominent family bearing this surname in Cairo.
In the 15th century, a scholar named Ahmed SHEHATA authored a treatise on Arabic grammar, which is preserved in several ancient libraries across the Middle East. His work contributed to the study of the Arabic language and its literature.
The name SHEHATA can also be traced to various regions in Egypt, where it was associated with certain place names or localities. For instance, the village of Al-Shehata in the Nile Delta region was known for its inhabitants bearing this surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the SHEHATA surname. Among them are:
1. Salah SHEHATA (1895-1968), an Egyptian playwright and novelist known for his contributions to modern Arabic literature.
2. Ahmed SHEHATA (1812-1890), an Egyptian scholar and theologian who authored numerous works on Islamic jurisprudence.
3. Fatima SHEHATA (1924-2001), an Egyptian feminist activist and writer who advocated for women's rights and education.
4. Mahmoud SHEHATA (1938-2010), an Egyptian football manager who led the national team to victory in the African Cup of Nations in 1998.
5. Youssef SHEHATA (1876-1942), an Egyptian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the early 20th century.
The surname SHEHATA has deep historical roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, writers, activists, politicians, and sports figures, all of whom have left their mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape of Egypt and the broader Arab world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shehata
Among Census respondents with the surname Shehata, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shehata 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 Shehata surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 1,736
- Two or more races2.6% · 48
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 34
- Black or African American1.3% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shehata
Shehata 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
#24,325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,031
+455 bearers (+79.0%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Up 12,305 places
2020
#15,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,852
+821 bearers (+79.6%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 9,063 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,630 | 576 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,325 | 1,031 | 0.35 | +455 bearers (+79.0%) | Up 12,305 places |
| 2020 | #15,262 | 1,852 | 0.62 | +821 bearers (+79.6%) | Up 9,063 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 Shehata 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 | #24,325 | #15,262 | 37.3% |
| Count | 1,031 | 1,852 | 79.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.62 | 77.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shehata bearers went from 1,031 to 1,852 (+79.6% change). The surname moved up 9,063 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,325 to #15,262.
FAQ
Shehata surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shehata?
Name Census estimates that about 2,124 living Americans carry the surname Shehata. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,372 residents.
How common is Shehata?
Shehata ranks #15,262 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,852 people with the surname Shehata. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Shehata.
Has Shehata become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shehata went from 1,031 recorded bearers to 1,852. That is an increase of 821 (+79.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #24,325 to #15,262.
What does the Census say about the background of Shehata?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shehata, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Shehata in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (1,736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shehata appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Shehata (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 Shehata mean?
An Arabic surname meaning prosperous or affluent. 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 Shehata (0.62 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 Americans have the surname Shehata?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.