2000
#6,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,522
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Shilling
A occupational surname referring to a person who was a coin minter or money changer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,924 Americans carry the last name Shilling. That puts it at #7,480 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,609 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shilling 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 Shilling with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,609
Census rank
#7,480
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,294 bearers of the surname Shilling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7480th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shilling, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shilling
The surname SHILLING has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the old German word "Schilling," which referred to a type of currency used in various parts of Europe during that time.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname SHILLING can be found in medieval documents and records from German-speaking regions, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Germany and Austria. It is likely that the name was initially adopted by individuals who worked as moneylenders, bankers, or merchants dealing with the Schilling currency.
In the 13th century, a notable individual named Konrad Schilling was mentioned in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Mellicensis, an important historical document from the Melk Abbey in Austria. This early reference suggests that the surname was already in use by that time.
During the 14th century, the SHILLING surname appeared in several municipal records and tax rolls from cities like Nuremberg and Augsburg, indicating that families bearing this name had established themselves as prominent citizens and tradesmen.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the SHILLING surname was Johannes Shilling, a merchant and banker who lived in Cologne, Germany, in the late 15th century (approximately 1450-1510). His business dealings and influence within the city's financial circles helped to solidify the association between the surname and the world of commerce and finance.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the SHILLING surname was Johann Shilling (1515-1580), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and contributed to the translation of the Bible into German.
Another prominent individual bearing the SHILLING surname was Johann Friedrich Shilling (1635-1705), a German composer and organist who served as the court Kapellmeister in Nuremberg. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded during his lifetime and contributed to the development of Baroque music.
In the 18th century, the SHILLING surname gained further recognition with the birth of Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814), a German philosopher and one of the founding figures of German idealism. Although born as Johann Gottlieb Fichte, he later adopted the surname SHILLING, which was his mother's maiden name.
Throughout its history, the SHILLING surname has been associated with a variety of professions and backgrounds, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bore this name. While its origins can be traced back to the world of finance and commerce, the surname has also been carried by individuals in fields such as theology, philosophy, and the arts, further enriching its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shilling
Among Census respondents with the surname Shilling, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shilling 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 Shilling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 3,921
- Two or more races3.9% · 168
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 119
- Black or African American0.9% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shilling
Shilling 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
#7,066
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,738
+216 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Down 212 places
2020
#7,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,294
-444 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 414 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,854 | 4,522 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,066 | 4,738 | 1.61 | +216 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 212 places |
| 2020 | #7,480 | 4,294 | 1.44 | -444 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 414 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 Shilling 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 | #7,066 | #7,480 | -5.9% |
| Count | 4,738 | 4,294 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.44 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shilling bearers went from 4,738 to 4,294 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 414 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,066 to #7,480.
FAQ
Shilling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shilling?
Name Census estimates that about 4,924 living Americans carry the surname Shilling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,609 residents.
How common is Shilling?
Shilling ranks #7,480 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.44 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 4,294 people with the surname Shilling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,924), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.44 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 Shilling.
Has Shilling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shilling went from 4,738 recorded bearers to 4,294. That is a decrease of 444 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,066 to #7,480.
What does the Census say about the background of Shilling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shilling, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) 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 Shilling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (3,921 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shilling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%), 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 Shilling (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 Shilling mean?
A occupational surname referring to a person who was a coin minter or money changer. 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 Shilling (1.44 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 Americans have the surname Shilling?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.