2000
#13,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Shepler
An occupational surname referring to a shepherd or sheep herder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,398 Americans carry the last name Shepler. That puts it at #13,843 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,933 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shepler 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
2.4K
1 in 142,933
Census rank
#13,843
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,091 bearers of the surname Shepler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13843rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shepler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shepler
The surname Shepler is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "scheffel," which refers to a unit of measurement for grain or dry goods. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in agricultural or trade activities related to grains or other commodities.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Schefler, Scheffler, or Schäffler, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and orthography. While no definitive records exist linking the name to specific historical figures or events, it is plausible that the name originated among farming communities or trade guilds in rural areas of Germany.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johann Scheffler, a German poet and mystic born in 1624 in Breslau, Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland). He is also known by his pen name Angelus Silesius and is renowned for his religious and philosophical writings, which explored the mystical union between the human soul and the divine.
Another notable individual with this surname was Johann Gottlieb Scheffel, a German poet and novelist born in 1826 in Karlsruhe, Baden. His most famous work, "Der Trompeter von Säkkingen" (The Trumpeter of Säkkingen), published in 1854, is a historical novel set in the 17th century and celebrated for its vivid portrayal of the Black Forest region.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Shepler surname can be traced back to Johann Jacob Scheffler, who immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1749. He and his family settled in the area now known as Berks County, where they established themselves as farmers and contributed to the local agricultural community.
Another notable American with this surname was William Shepler, born in 1826 in Pennsylvania. He served as a Union soldier during the American Civil War and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and heroic actions during the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863.
While the surname Shepler may not be as widely recognized as some others, its origins and historical bearers reflect a rich heritage rooted in German culture, agricultural traditions, and literary accomplishments. The name's evolution over time, from its early variations to its modern spelling, provides a fascinating glimpse into the linguistic and cultural influences that have shaped surnames throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shepler
Among Census respondents with the surname Shepler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Shepler 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 Shepler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 1,970
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 58
- Two or more races2.2% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shepler
Shepler 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
#13,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,222
+112 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 361 places
2020
#13,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,091
-131 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,266 | 2,110 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,627 | 2,222 | 0.75 | +112 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 361 places |
| 2020 | #13,843 | 2,091 | 0.70 | -131 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 216 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 Shepler 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 | #13,627 | #13,843 | -1.6% |
| Count | 2,222 | 2,091 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.70 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shepler bearers went from 2,222 to 2,091 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 216 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,627 to #13,843.
FAQ
Shepler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shepler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,398 living Americans carry the surname Shepler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,933 residents.
How common is Shepler?
Shepler ranks #13,843 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,091 people with the surname Shepler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,398), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Shepler.
Has Shepler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shepler went from 2,222 recorded bearers to 2,091. That is a decrease of 131 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,627 to #13,843.
What does the Census say about the background of Shepler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shepler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Shepler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (1,970 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shepler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Shepler (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 Shepler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a shepherd or sheep herder. 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 Shepler (0.70 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 common is the surname Shepler?
Find out how many people are called Shepler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.