2000
#4,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,019
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.97
Rare Last name
Shinn
Derived from the Old English word "scinn," referring to someone who lived near a cleft or ravine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,707 Americans carry the last name Shinn. That puts it at #4,539 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,365 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shinn 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 Shinn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.7K
1 in 39,365
Census rank
#4,539
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,593 bearers of the surname Shinn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4539th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shinn, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%) and Black (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shinn
The surname SHINN has its origins in the British Isles, specifically England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "scinn," which means "shin" or "sharp." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person with a distinguishing physical characteristic or occupation related to sharpness or cutting.
In its early days, the name was predominantly found in the counties of Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Shyn, Schyn, and Schynne, which were variations commonly found in medieval records and parish registers.
One of the earliest documented references to the name SHINN can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, dated 1285, which mentions a John Schyn. Another notable early record is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a William Schynne.
During the 14th century, the name appears in various records across different regions of England. For instance, the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire mention a Thomas Schyn in 1347, while the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire from 1379 include a John Schynne.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name SHINN was Sir John Shinn, a prominent military commander who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield by King Henry V.
In the 16th century, the name SHINN was associated with several notable figures. William Shinn (1505-1572) was an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex. Another William Shinn (1545-1618) was a renowned scholar and translator who studied at Oxford University.
The 17th century saw the emergence of several SHINN families in different parts of England. One of the most notable was the SHINN family of Lincolnshire, whose ancestral home was the manor of Shinn Hall in the village of Gainsborough. This family produced several influential members, including Sir Robert Shinn (1628-1699), a Member of Parliament and judge.
As the name SHINN spread across the British Isles, it also found its way to other parts of the world through immigration and exploration. In the 18th century, several SHINN families settled in the American colonies, where the name took root and evolved into various spellings, such as Shinn, Shin, and Shen.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shinn
Among Census respondents with the surname Shinn, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%) and Black (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Shinn 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 Shinn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8% · 6,060
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.5% · 496
- Black or African American5.2% · 396
- Two or more races4.5% · 338
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 265
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shinn
Shinn 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
#4,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,038
+19 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.72
Rank movement Down 334 places
2020
#4,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,593
-445 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 2.54
Rank movement Down 115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,090 | 8,019 | 2.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,424 | 8,038 | 2.72 | +19 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 334 places |
| 2020 | #4,539 | 7,593 | 2.54 | -445 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 115 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 Shinn 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 | #4,424 | #4,539 | -2.6% |
| Count | 8,038 | 7,593 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.72 | 2.54 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shinn bearers went from 8,038 to 7,593 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 115 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,424 to #4,539.
FAQ
Shinn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shinn?
Name Census estimates that about 8,707 living Americans carry the surname Shinn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,365 residents.
How common is Shinn?
Shinn ranks #4,539 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,593 people with the surname Shinn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,707), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Shinn.
Has Shinn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shinn went from 8,038 recorded bearers to 7,593. That is a decrease of 445 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,424 to #4,539.
What does the Census say about the background of Shinn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shinn, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%) and Black (5.2%). 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 Shinn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (6,060 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shinn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%), Black (5.2%). 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 Shinn (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 Shinn mean?
Derived from the Old English word "scinn," referring to someone who lived near a cleft or ravine. 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 Shinn (2.54 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 surname Shinn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.