2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shilliday
An uncommon surname possibly derived from a place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Shilliday. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shilliday 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Shilliday with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Shilliday in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shilliday, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shilliday
The surname Shilliday is of Scottish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the lands of Schielhallion, a prominent mountain located in the beautiful highland region of Perthshire, Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Shilliday can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobility who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. This document lists a certain "William de Schythehalch," which is believed to be an early variant spelling of the name.
During the 16th century, the Shilliday family became well-established in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. Records from this period indicate that the name was often spelled as "Scheillay" or "Scheillie," reflecting the phonetic variations of the era.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Shilliday name was John Shilliday (1618-1695), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who played a prominent role in the religious struggles of the time. He was a vocal opponent of the policies of King Charles II and was briefly imprisoned for his beliefs.
Another significant figure in the history of the Shilliday name was Sir Adam Shilliday (1732-1810), a Scottish landowner and member of the British Parliament. He was known for his efforts in improving agricultural practices and promoting the advancement of education in his local community.
The 19th century saw the arrival of the Shilliday family in various parts of the English-speaking world. One notable individual from this period was Robert Shilliday (1822-1897), a Scottish-born entrepreneur who made significant contributions to the development of the mining industry in Australia.
In the realm of literature, the name Shilliday is associated with the Scottish writer and poet, James Shilliday (1876-1952), whose works explored themes of rural life and the natural beauty of his homeland.
As the centuries passed, the spelling of the name evolved further, with variations such as "Shillady," "Shilladay," and the modern form, "Shilliday," gaining prominence. Despite these changes, the name has maintained its strong connection to its Scottish heritage and the picturesque landscapes that gave birth to its origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shilliday
Among Census respondents with the surname Shilliday, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shilliday 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 Shilliday surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 98
- Black or African American4.6% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shilliday
Shilliday appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,715 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 Shilliday 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 | #145,220 | #150,935 | -3.9% |
| Count | 114 | 108 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shilliday bearers went from 114 to 108 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #150,935.
FAQ
Shilliday surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shilliday?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Shilliday. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Shilliday?
Shilliday ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Shilliday. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Shilliday.
Has Shilliday become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shilliday went from 114 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Shilliday?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shilliday, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Shilliday in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shilliday appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Black (4.6%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Shilliday (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 Shilliday mean?
An uncommon surname possibly derived from a place name or occupation. 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 Shilliday (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 Shilliday?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Shilliday is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.