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

Shields, 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 Shields surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shields in America

Shields is the 672nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shields surname appeared 50,832 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Shields.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shields 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 Shields

The surname Shields is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "scield," meaning "shield" or "shelter." It first appeared in England during the medieval period, primarily in the northern counties.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shields can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Scild" and "Scheld." These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

The name Shields was initially used as a descriptive surname, likely referring to someone who made or carried shields, or perhaps someone who provided shelter or protection. It may have also been used to denote someone who lived near a prominent or distinctive shield-shaped landmark.

In the 13th century, records show a Willelmus Sheld in the Curia Regis Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1221. John de Scheles was mentioned in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as John del Sheles in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, and William atte Schelde in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

Notable historical figures with the surname Shields include:

1. Thomas Shields (c. 1615-1690), an English Puritan clergyman and writer.
2. James Shields (1806-1879), an Irish-American politician and military officer who served as a United States Senator and a Union general during the American Civil War.
3. Mary Shields (1840-1912), an American educator and advocate for women's rights and education.
4. William Shields (1867-1951), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Amarillo, Texas.
5. Samuel Shields (1922-2009), an American actor best known for his role as Mr. Smoot in the television series Dennis the Menace.

Over time, the surname Shields has spread throughout the English-speaking world, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Australia, carried by generations of immigrants from the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shields

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shields, 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!