Find out how popular the last name Shira is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shira.

Shira, 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 Shira surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shira in America

Shira is the 39607th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shira surname appeared 555 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shira.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shira 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.

The history of the last name Shira

The surname Shira is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in regions that are now part of modern-day Israel and Palestine. It is derived from the Hebrew word "shir," which means "song" or "poem." The name likely emerged during the ancient period when Hebrew was the predominant language spoken in the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Shira can be found in the Cairo Geniza, a collection of Jewish manuscripts and documents from the 9th to 19th centuries. These manuscripts contain references to individuals with the name Shira, indicating that the surname was already in use during the medieval period.

In the 11th century, a renowned Jewish scholar and poet named Solomon ibn Gabirol, also known as Shlomo ben Yehuda ibn Gabirol or Avicebron, was born in Malaga, Spain. He is considered one of the most influential Jewish philosophers of the medieval era and is often referred to by his surname, Gabirol, which is a variation of the name Shira.

During the 13th century, a famous Jewish mystic and kabbalist named Moses de León lived in Spain. He is best known for his work on the Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah. De León's surname is believed to be derived from the town of León in Spain, but some scholars suggest that it may also be related to the surname Shira.

In the 16th century, a prominent Jewish scholar and author named Samuel Shira lived in Italy. He wrote extensively on Jewish law and theology, and his works were widely studied and influential during his time.

Another notable figure with the surname Shira is Shlomo Shira, a 17th-century Italian rabbi and kabbalist. He was a prolific writer and contributed significantly to the study of Jewish mysticism and esoteric teachings.

Throughout history, the surname Shira has been associated with individuals from various countries, including Israel, Palestine, Spain, Italy, and others. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Middle East, it has spread and been adopted by Jewish communities around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shira

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shira.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shira was:

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 Shira has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Shira was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shira, please contact us.

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