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

Shelman, 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 Shelman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shelman in America

Shelman is the 35582nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shelman surname appeared 632 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shelman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shelman 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 Shelman

The surname SHELMAN is of German origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "schelm," which means "rogue" or "rascal." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as mischievous or roguish.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SHELMAN can be found in the town records of Heidelberg, Germany, where a person named Hans Shelman was mentioned in 1576. The name was also present in various other German towns and villages during that period, with slight variations in spelling, such as Schelman or Schelmann.

In the 17th century, the name SHELMAN began to appear in church records and legal documents across various regions of Germany. During this time, the name was often associated with certain occupations, such as blacksmiths or millers, indicating that it may have been adopted as a surname by families involved in these trades.

As the SHELMAN family migrated to different parts of Europe, the name underwent further variations in spelling and pronunciation. For instance, in the Netherlands, it was sometimes spelled as Schelmans, while in Poland, it was known as Szelman.

One notable figure bearing the surname SHELMAN was Johann Friedrich Shelman (1678-1742), a German Lutheran theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. Another prominent individual was Wilhelm Shelman (1812-1889), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscape and genre scenes.

In the 19th century, many individuals with the surname SHELMAN emigrated from Europe to North America, seeking new opportunities and a better life. One such individual was Carl Shelman (1837-1912), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and became a successful businessman.

Another notable SHELMAN was Henry Shelman (1874-1956), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He was known for his advocacy of labor rights and his efforts to improve working conditions in coal mines.

While the surname SHELMAN is not as common today as it once was, it still holds a rich history and legacy that spans several centuries and crosses multiple continents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shelman

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!