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

Shiflett, 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 Shiflett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shiflett in America

Shiflett is the 8900th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shiflett surname appeared 3,679 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Shiflett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shiflett 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 Shiflett

The surname Shiflett is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "scyftan," meaning "to divide or separate." It is thought to have originally referred to a person who was responsible for dividing or allocating land or property.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273 as "Robertus Shiftling." This is likely an early variant spelling of the surname.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Schiftlyng" and "Shyftelyng," further suggesting its connection to the Old English word "scyftan."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John Shiftlyng, who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332.

During the 16th century, the name began to take on its more modern spelling, with records showing instances like "Shiftlett" and "Shyflett." This period also saw the name appearing in various parts of England, including Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire.

Notable individuals with the surname Shiflett include:

1. Richard Shiflett (c. 1630-1690), an early English settler in Virginia, known for establishing a plantation in Westmoreland County.

2. John Shiflett (1752-1829), an American Revolutionary War soldier from Virginia who served under General George Washington.

3. Eliza Shiflett (1808-1892), an American pioneer and one of the first female settlers in the Oregon Territory.

4. William Shiflett (1845-1924), a Civil War veteran from Virginia who fought for the Confederate States of America.

5. Lillian Shiflett (1888-1968), an American educator and one of the first female school principals in rural Virginia.

While the surname Shiflett is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a long and intriguing history, tracing back to its Old English roots and the division or allocation of land and property.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shiflett

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

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

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

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