2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shellem
Possibly an Anglicized form of the German surname Schellhammer, referring to a bell maker or bell founder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Shellem. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shellem 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Shellem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shellem, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shellem
The surname SHELLEM is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English words "scylf" meaning "shelf" and "helm" meaning "helmet," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent shelf or cliff.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the SHELLEM surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Scelfham," which is likely an earlier spelling variation.
During the 13th century, the SHELLEM surname was prominent in the county of Shropshire, particularly in the village of Shelve, which may have contributed to the evolution of the name's spelling. Records from this period show individuals named Roger de Schelfe (1243) and William de Shelve (1275) residing in the area.
In the 14th century, the SHELLEM name spread to other parts of England, with notable individuals such as John Shellem (born c. 1320) of Oxfordshire and William Shellem (born c. 1355) of Yorkshire appearing in historical records.
One of the earliest known bearers of the SHELLEM surname was Sir Robert Shellem (c. 1380 - 1452), a knight from Warwickshire who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was awarded lands for his service and is considered an influential figure in the family's history.
During the 16th century, the SHELLEM name continued to be prominent, with individuals such as Thomas Shellem (c. 1510 - 1582), a wealthy merchant from London, and Elizabeth Shellem (c. 1550 - 1620), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Gloucestershire, leaving their mark on history.
In the 17th century, the SHELLEM surname was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where John Shellem (1625 - 1698) was a respected local magistrate, and Dorset, where William Shellem (1640 - 1715) was a prominent landowner and farmer.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shellem
Among Census respondents with the surname Shellem, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shellem 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 Shellem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 87
- Two or more races8.8% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shellem
Shellem 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-12 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,007 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 22,007 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,289 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 Shellem 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 | #156,044 | #154,755 | 0.8% |
| Count | 104 | 102 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shellem bearers went from 104 to 102 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,755.
FAQ
Shellem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shellem?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Shellem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Shellem?
Shellem ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Shellem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Shellem.
Has Shellem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shellem went from 104 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Shellem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shellem, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Shellem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shellem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Two or More Races (8.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Shellem (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 Shellem mean?
Possibly an Anglicized form of the German surname Schellhammer, referring to a bell maker or bell founder. 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 Shellem (0.03 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 Shellem?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.