2000
#5,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,083
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.25
Rare Last name
Shine
An English occupational surname referring to a skilled workman who furbishes or polishes metal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,010 Americans carry the last name Shine. That puts it at #5,492 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,895 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shine 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 Shine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 48,895
Census rank
#5,492
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,113 bearers of the surname Shine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5492nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shine, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shine
The surname SHINE is a locational name that originated in England. It is derived from the Old English word "scīnan," meaning "to shine" or "to be bright." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a bright or shining place, such as a clearing or a sunny area.
The earliest recorded instance of the SHINE surname dates back to the 13th century in the county of Norfolk, England. In 1273, a man named William de Shine was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk. The "de" prefix indicates that he was from a particular location or estate called Shine.
During the medieval period, the SHINE surname was also found in various records across southern England, including Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. In the 16th century, the name appeared in the parish records of Wiltshire, where a Thomas Shyne was recorded in 1564.
One notable bearer of the SHINE surname was Sir John Shine (c. 1490-1568), a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire and a prominent figure during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another early individual with this name was William Shine (c. 1600-1679), a landowner and member of the gentry in Worcestershire.
In the 17th century, the SHINE surname spread to other parts of England and began to appear in records from places like Lancashire and Yorkshire. Some variations of the name included Shyne, Shene, and Sheen.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the SHINE surname achieved notable positions or made significant contributions. For example, John Shine (1730-1805) was a renowned engraver and artist in London, while Thomas Shine (1795-1853) was a successful architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Bath.
Another prominent figure was Richard Shine (1826-1879), a British businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Melbourne, Australia, in the late 1800s. He played a crucial role in the development of the city's infrastructure and public works during that period.
The SHINE surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Shine Farm in Wiltshire and Shine Hill in Norfolk. These locations may have been named after early bearers of the surname or related to the meaning of the name itself.
While the SHINE surname is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shine
Among Census respondents with the surname Shine, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Shine 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 Shine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.2% · 3,436
- Black or African American33.0% · 2,017
- Two or more races3.7% · 224
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 223
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 199
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shine
Shine 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
#5,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,217
+134 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Down 332 places
2020
#5,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,113
-104 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Up 103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,263 | 6,083 | 2.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,595 | 6,217 | 2.11 | +134 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 332 places |
| 2020 | #5,492 | 6,113 | 2.05 | -104 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 103 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 Shine 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 | #5,595 | #5,492 | 1.8% |
| Count | 6,217 | 6,113 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.11 | 2.05 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shine bearers went from 6,217 to 6,113 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 103 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,595 to #5,492.
FAQ
Shine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shine?
Name Census estimates that about 7,010 living Americans carry the surname Shine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,895 residents.
How common is Shine?
Shine ranks #5,492 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,113 people with the surname Shine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,010), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Shine.
Has Shine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shine went from 6,217 recorded bearers to 6,113. That is a decrease of 104 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,595 to #5,492.
What does the Census say about the background of Shine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shine, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Shine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.2% (3,436 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.2%), Black (33.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Shine (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 Shine mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a skilled workman who furbishes or polishes metal. 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 Shine (2.05 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 Shine?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Shine on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.