2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shifter
An occupational surname referring to someone who weaved or wove cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Shifter. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shifter 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Shifter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shifter, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shifter
The surname "SHIFTER" is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "schifter," which means "one who shifts or moves goods." The name likely referred to individuals who worked as porters, cargo handlers, or transporters of goods, particularly in the cities and trade centers of medieval Germany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SHIFTER" can be found in the records of the city of Cologne, dated around 1375. In this document, a certain "Johannes Shifter" is mentioned as a merchant who transported goods along the Rhine River.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various records across different regions of Germany, suggesting that individuals with this surname were involved in the growing trade and commerce of the time. For example, in 1422, a "Hans Shifter" is recorded as a member of the merchant guild in the city of Nuremberg.
As trade routes expanded across Europe, the name "SHIFTER" also spread to other parts of the continent. In the 16th century, there are records of individuals with this surname in the Netherlands and Denmark, indicating the movement of people and the adoption of the name in these regions.
One notable individual with the surname "SHIFTER" was Johann Shifter (1525-1592), a prominent merchant and trader from Hamburg, who established successful trade routes with the Baltic region and played a significant role in the city's economic growth during the Renaissance period.
Another individual of historical significance was Anna Shifter (1572-1642), a respected businesswoman and trader from the city of Frankfurt, who was known for her involvement in the lucrative textile trade with Italy and the Netherlands.
In the 17th century, the name "SHIFTER" also appeared in the records of various German-speaking settlements in North America, particularly in Pennsylvania and other areas with significant German immigration. One notable figure was Hans Shifter (1635-1712), a farmer and trader who settled in the Germantown area of Pennsylvania in the late 17th century.
As the centuries passed, the surname "SHIFTER" continued to be associated with individuals involved in various trades and professions related to the transportation and movement of goods, both within Germany and in other parts of the world where German immigrants settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shifter
Among Census respondents with the surname Shifter, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Shifter 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 Shifter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 10
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shifter
Shifter 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-9 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,840 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+12 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,258 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 18,840 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 10,258 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 Shifter 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 | #153,769 | #143,511 | 6.7% |
| Count | 106 | 118 | 11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shifter bearers went from 106 to 118 (+11.3% change). The surname moved up 10,258 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #143,511.
FAQ
Shifter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shifter?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Shifter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Shifter?
Shifter ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Shifter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Shifter.
Has Shifter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shifter went from 106 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 12 (+11.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Shifter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shifter, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Shifter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shifter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (8.5%), Black (2.5%). 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 Shifter (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 Shifter mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who weaved or wove cloth. 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 Shifter (0.04 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 Shifter?
See how many Americans have the surname Shifter on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.