2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shellhart
A nature-inspired surname possibly denoting a person from a place with a hard, protective outer shell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Shellhart. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shellhart 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Shellhart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shellhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shellhart
The surname SHELLHART has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have derived from the German words "schell" meaning "loud" or "shrill" and "hart" meaning "hard" or "brave." This combination suggests the name may have been given to someone with a loud or commanding voice, or perhaps to a brave individual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SHELLHART surname can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the year 1547, where a Johannes Shellhart is mentioned as a local merchant. The name also appears in various church records from the region during the 16th and 17th centuries, with variations in spelling such as Schellhart, Schelhart, and Schellhardt.
In the 18th century, the SHELLHART name appears to have spread beyond Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland. One notable figure from this time period was Friedrich Shellhart (1725-1789), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Dukes of Württemberg.
As the 19th century dawned, the SHELLHART name continued to disperse across Europe, with some individuals emigrating to other parts of the world. One such example is William SHELLHART (1832-1912), a German-born entrepreneur who settled in New York City and established a successful import/export business.
Another notable individual with the SHELLHART surname was Elisabeth SHELLHART (1870-1942), a German artist renowned for her landscape paintings and portraiture. Her works were exhibited in several prestigious galleries throughout Europe during her lifetime.
Moving into the 20th century, the SHELLHART name can be found in various historical records and documents from different parts of the world. One example is Hans SHELLHART (1901-1978), a German-American physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics during his career.
While the SHELLHART surname may not be as common as some others, it has a rich history that spans centuries and continents. From its origins in 16th century Germany to its spread across Europe and beyond, the name has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each leaving their own unique mark on the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shellhart
Among Census respondents with the surname Shellhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Shellhart 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 Shellhart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 95
- Two or more races9.6% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shellhart
Shellhart 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 67 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,900 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Down 67 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,900 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 Shellhart 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 | #149,395 | #146,495 | 1.9% |
| Count | 110 | 114 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shellhart bearers went from 110 to 114 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,900 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #146,495.
FAQ
Shellhart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shellhart?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Shellhart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Shellhart?
Shellhart ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Shellhart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Shellhart.
Has Shellhart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shellhart went from 110 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Shellhart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shellhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and Hispanic (6.1%). 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 Shellhart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shellhart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Two or More Races (9.6%), Hispanic (6.1%). 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 Shellhart (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 Shellhart mean?
A nature-inspired surname possibly denoting a person from a place with a hard, protective outer shell. 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 Shellhart (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 are called Shellhart?
Want to know how common the surname Shellhart is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.