Find out how popular the last name Shimp is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shimp.
A habitational name from a place now lost with an uncertain etymology.
Shimp, 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 Shimp surname is from the 2010 census data.
Shimp is the 15889th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Shimp surname appeared 1,830 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 Shimp.
We can also compare 2010 data for Shimp 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 15889 | 15369 | 3.33% |
Count | 1,830 | 1,753 | 4.30% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.62 | 0.65 | -4.72% |
The surname "SHIMP" is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the German word "Schimp," which means "one who jests or mocks." The name may have initially been given as a nickname to someone with a playful or jesting nature.
The earliest known record of the name "SHIMP" can be found in the parish records of Cologne, Germany, from the year 1568, where a certain Hans Schimp is mentioned. In the following century, the name appears in various other German records, with variations in spelling such as "Schimpe" and "Schimpf."
In the 18th century, the name "SHIMP" began to spread beyond Germany, with some families migrating to other parts of Europe and North America. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Christoph Schimp, a German painter and engraver born in 1719 in Mannheim, known for his intricate landscape paintings.
As the name "SHIMP" made its way across the Atlantic, it gained a foothold in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is that of Johann Georg Schimp, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century.
Another notable figure with the surname "SHIMP" was Jacob Schimp, a German-American soldier born in 1777, who served in the War of 1812 and later became a prominent businessman in Pennsylvania.
In the 19th century, the "SHIMP" name continued to spread throughout North America, with families settling in various regions. One notable bearer of the name during this period was William Shimp, a Canadian farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1892 to 1899.
As the centuries passed, the "SHIMP" name continued to be carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, contributing to the rich tapestry of history and culture in various parts of the world.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shimp.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shimp was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 95.96% | 1,756 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.49% | 9 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.93% | 17 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.48% | 27 |
Hispanic Origin | 1.15% | 21 |
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 Shimp has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 95.96% | 96.81% | -0.88% |
Black | 0.49% | 0.34% | 36.14% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.93% | 0.80% | 15.03% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Two or More Races | 1.48% | 0.97% | 41.63% |
Hispanic | 1.15% | 1.08% | 6.28% |
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 Shimp was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/shimp-surname-popularity/">Shimp last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Shimp last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 22, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/shimp-surname-popularity/.
"Shimp last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/shimp-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 May, 2025
Shimp last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/shimp-surname-popularity/.
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