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

Shetler, 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 Shetler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shetler in America

Shetler is the 6881st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shetler surname appeared 4,886 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Shetler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shetler 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 Shetler

The surname Shetler is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Schettler," which was an occupational surname referring to a person who made wooden containers or vessels, such as barrels or buckets.

In its earliest form, the name was spelled "Schettler" or "Schetteler," and it was predominantly found in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Over time, as families migrated to different regions, the spelling of the name evolved to its current form, "Shetler."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the church records of the town of Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, where a certain Hans Schettler was mentioned in the year 1568. Another notable historical reference is the appearance of the name in the records of the village of Oberkirch, also in Baden-Württemberg, in the late 16th century.

Among the notable individuals who have carried the Shetler surname throughout history are Johann Shetler (1678-1742), a prominent German woodcarver and sculptor who was renowned for his intricate works in churches and monasteries across southern Germany. Another notable figure is Wilhelm Shetler (1803-1875), a German-American immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and became a successful farmer and landowner.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Shetler name can be found in the records of the Pennsylvania Dutch community, where Jacob Shetler (1725-1798) was a prominent figure in the early settlement of Lancaster County. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various professions, including agriculture, business, and politics.

Another notable American with the Shetler surname was Samuel Shetler (1845-1920), a Union Army veteran of the American Civil War, who later became a respected lawyer and judge in Ohio. His contemporaries included Mary Shetler (1855-1932), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools in Pennsylvania.

Throughout its history, the Shetler surname has maintained a strong connection to its German roots, with many families tracing their lineage back to the original regions of southern Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shetler

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

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

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

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