2000
#8,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,645
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Shiflett
A topographic surname derived from the Old English words "scylf" and "hledet," referring to someone living on a ledge or shelf.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,883 Americans carry the last name Shiflett. That puts it at #9,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,270 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shiflett 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
3.9K
1 in 88,270
Census rank
#9,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,386 bearers of the surname Shiflett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shiflett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shiflett
Among Census respondents with the surname Shiflett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shiflett 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 Shiflett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 3,137
- Two or more races3.7% · 125
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 66
- Black or African American0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shiflett
Shiflett 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
#8,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,679
+34 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 552 places
2020
#9,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,386
-293 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,348 | 3,645 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,900 | 3,679 | 1.25 | +34 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 552 places |
| 2020 | #9,236 | 3,386 | 1.13 | -293 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 336 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 Shiflett 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 | #8,900 | #9,236 | -3.8% |
| Count | 3,679 | 3,386 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.13 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shiflett bearers went from 3,679 to 3,386 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 336 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,900 to #9,236.
FAQ
Shiflett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shiflett?
Name Census estimates that about 3,883 living Americans carry the surname Shiflett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,270 residents.
How common is Shiflett?
Shiflett ranks #9,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,386 people with the surname Shiflett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,883), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Shiflett.
Has Shiflett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shiflett went from 3,679 recorded bearers to 3,386. That is a decrease of 293 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,900 to #9,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Shiflett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shiflett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Shiflett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (3,137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shiflett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Shiflett (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 Shiflett mean?
A topographic surname derived from the Old English words "scylf" and "hledet," referring to someone living on a ledge or shelf. 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 Shiflett (1.13 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 many people are called Shiflett?
You can see how many people have the last name Shiflett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.