2000
#14,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,938
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Shiner
An occupational surname for someone who polishes or buffs metal, or a nickname for a person with a black eye.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,065 Americans carry the last name Shiner. That puts it at #15,619 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,983 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shiner 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 Shiner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 165,983
Census rank
#15,619
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,801 bearers of the surname Shiner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15619th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shiner
The surname Shiner is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "scinnere," which referred to a person who worked as a shiner or polisher of various objects, particularly metalwork or armor. This occupation-based surname dates back to the 13th century and was most prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a "William le Schinnere." The Shiner name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, listing a "Thomas Schyner."
During the medieval period, the Shiner surname was sometimes spelled differently, such as "Schinner," "Schyner," or "Shynner." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
In terms of historical references, the Shiner surname is notably absent from the Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting that the name emerged later, likely as the occupation of metal polishing became more widespread.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the Shiner surname was Roger Shiner, a prominent merchant from Bristol, England, who lived in the late 14th century. Another individual of note was Sir John Shiner (1535-1608), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the Shiner surname gained some prominence with the birth of Richard Shiner (1628-1688), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts. During the same period, John Shiner (1650-1715) was a renowned mathematician and astronomer, known for his contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Moving into the 18th century, James Shiner (1725-1798) was a notable English engraver and printmaker, whose works are held in prestigious collections such as the British Museum.
As the surname Shiner continued to spread across England and beyond, it became associated with various professions and walks of life, from skilled artisans to academics and public figures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shiner
Among Census respondents with the surname Shiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shiner 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 Shiner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 1,644
- Black or African American3.1% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 52
- Two or more races2.1% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shiner
Shiner 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
#15,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,949
+11 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 919 places
2020
#15,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,801
-148 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 492 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,208 | 1,938 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,127 | 1,949 | 0.66 | +11 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 919 places |
| 2020 | #15,619 | 1,801 | 0.60 | -148 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 492 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 Shiner 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 | #15,127 | #15,619 | -3.3% |
| Count | 1,949 | 1,801 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.60 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shiner bearers went from 1,949 to 1,801 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 492 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,127 to #15,619.
FAQ
Shiner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shiner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,065 living Americans carry the surname Shiner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,983 residents.
How common is Shiner?
Shiner ranks #15,619 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,801 people with the surname Shiner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,065), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Shiner.
Has Shiner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shiner went from 1,949 recorded bearers to 1,801. That is a decrease of 148 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,127 to #15,619.
What does the Census say about the background of Shiner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Shiner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (1,644 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shiner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Black (3.1%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Shiner (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 Shiner mean?
An occupational surname for someone who polishes or buffs metal, or a nickname for a person with a black eye. 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 Shiner (0.60 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 people have the last name Shiner?
You can see how many people are called Shiner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.