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

Sheldon, 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 Sheldon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sheldon in America

Sheldon is the 1855th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sheldon surname appeared 19,339 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Sheldon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sheldon 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 Sheldon

The surname Sheldon originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Sheldon, which itself comes from the Old English words "scylf" meaning bank or ridge, and "dun" meaning hill. The name was originally used to refer to someone who lived near a ridged hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sheldon can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sceldedune" in reference to a place in Warwickshire. Over time, the spelling evolved to Sheldon, with variations such as Sheldun, Sheldoun, and Sheldone.

The Sheldons were a prominent family in Warwickshire and Staffordshire during the Middle Ages. Sir Ralph Sheldon (c. 1537-1609) was a notable figure who served as a Member of Parliament and built the grand Sheldon Manor in Weston, Warwickshire.

Another notable Sheldon was Gilbert Sheldon (1598-1677), an English clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1663 until his death. He played a significant role in the restoration of the Church of England after the English Civil War.

In the literary world, Richard Sheldon (1599-1663) was an English poet and translator who is best known for his translation of the works of Seneca.

The Sheldon family also had connections to the American colonies. Isaac Sheldon (1650-1735) was an early settler in Massachusetts, arriving in the late 17th century. He and his descendants played significant roles in the development of the region.

Ralph Sheldon (1609-1684) was an English inventor and engineer who is credited with developing the first flushing water closet, a predecessor to the modern toilet.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals bearing the surname Sheldon throughout history, highlighting its long-standing presence in various regions and fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sheldon

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

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

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

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