2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shelford
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "shallow ford" or "ford by a ledge".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Shelford. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shelford 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Shelford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Shelford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shelford, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shelford
The surname SHELFORD has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically a town or village called Shelford. The name itself is a combination of the Old English words "scylf" meaning a shelf or ledge, and "ford" referring to a shallow river crossing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SHELFORD surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The presence of the name in this document suggests that individuals bearing the SHELFORD surname had already established themselves in various parts of the country by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, variations in spelling were common, and the SHELFORD name appeared in various forms, including Shelforde, Sheliforde, and Shelforth. These spellings often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name in official documents.
One notable individual with the SHELFORD surname was Sir Ralph de Shelford, who lived in the 13th century and was a prominent landowner in Nottinghamshire. He is mentioned in several historical records from that period, including land grants and legal transactions.
Another significant figure was William SHELFORD, born in 1571, who was a respected scholar and clergyman. He served as the Rector of Ickworth in Suffolk and was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.
In the 18th century, John SHELFORD (1726-1808) made a name for himself as a renowned botanist and naturalist. He was particularly interested in the study of fungi and published several influential works on the subject, including "A Treatise on the Culture of Parsnip and Carrot," which was widely read in agricultural circles.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Robert William Callis SHELFORD (1804-1882), a prominent lawyer and legal scholar. He authored several influential treatises on English law, including "A Practical Treatise on the Law Concerning Lunatics, Idiots, and Persons of Unsound Mind."
In more recent times, Sir Walter SHELFORD (1914-2000) was a distinguished British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Spain from 1969 to 1973. He played a crucial role in strengthening diplomatic ties between the two nations during a period of political transition in Spain.
While these are just a few examples, the SHELFORD surname has a rich history spanning centuries, with its origins firmly rooted in the English countryside and its bearers contributing to various fields throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shelford
Among Census respondents with the surname Shelford, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Shelford 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 Shelford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8% · 87
- Black or African American11.0% · 12
- Two or more races5.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shelford
Shelford 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,695 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,695 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 247 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 Shelford 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 | #150,452 | #150,205 | 0.2% |
| Count | 109 | 109 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shelford bearers went from 109 to 109 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,205.
FAQ
Shelford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shelford?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Shelford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Shelford?
Shelford ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Shelford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Shelford.
Has Shelford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shelford went from 109 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Shelford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shelford, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Shelford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shelford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.8%), Black (11.0%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Shelford (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 Shelford mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "shallow ford" or "ford by a ledge". 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 Shelford (0.04 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 Shelford?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Shelford, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.