2000
#4,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,487
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.40
Rare Last name
Shirk
A metonymic occupational surname for a person who avoids work or responsibility, derived from the verb "shirk."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,607 Americans carry the last name Shirk. That puts it at #4,575 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shirk 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.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 39,823
Census rank
#4,575
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,506 bearers of the surname Shirk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4575th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shirk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shirk
The surname SHIRK originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "scherken," meaning "to recoil" or "to shrink back." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone who exhibited a tendency to avoid responsibilities or shy away from challenges.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SHIRK can be found in the Kirchenbücher, or church records, of the town of Kirchheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, where a certain Johannes Shirk was mentioned in 1587. Another early reference comes from the town of Darmstadt in Hesse, where a Michael Shirk was recorded in 1612.
In the 17th century, the name SHIRK appears in various records from the Palatinate region of Germany, particularly in the towns of Heidelberg and Speyer. It is possible that some individuals bearing this surname may have been among the many Palatine immigrants who left Germany for the British colonies in North America in the early 18th century, seeking religious freedom and economic opportunities.
One notable individual with the surname SHIRK was Johann Adam Shirk (1696-1766), a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Heidelberg. He served as a minister in several churches in the Palatinate region and authored several theological works during his lifetime.
Another figure of historical significance was Friedrich Shirk (1807-1888), a German-American farmer and businessman who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1830s. He established a successful agricultural enterprise and became known for his innovations in farming techniques and machinery.
In the 19th century, the SHIRK surname gained prominence in the United States, particularly in the state of Pennsylvania, where many German immigrants had settled. One noteworthy individual was John M. Shirk (1823-1904), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War who later became a prominent lawyer and judge in Pennsylvania.
Another individual of note was William H. Shirk (1851-1924), an American businessman and industrialist from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He founded the Shirk Manufacturing Company, which produced agricultural machinery and implements, and contributed significantly to the region's economic development.
Throughout its history, the surname SHIRK has also been associated with various place names, such as Shirk's Mill, a former grist mill located in Pennsylvania, and Shirk's Hill, a geographic feature in Maryland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shirk
Among Census respondents with the surname Shirk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Shirk 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 Shirk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 7,126
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 158
- Two or more races1.7% · 128
- Black or African American0.6% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shirk
Shirk 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
#4,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,448
+961 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 2.52
Rank movement Up 215 places
2020
#4,575
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,506
+58 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 2.51
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,969 | 6,487 | 2.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,754 | 7,448 | 2.52 | +961 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 215 places |
| 2020 | #4,575 | 7,506 | 2.51 | +58 bearers (+0.8%) | Up 179 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 Shirk 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 | #4,754 | #4,575 | 3.8% |
| Count | 7,448 | 7,506 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.52 | 2.51 | -0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shirk bearers went from 7,448 to 7,506 (+0.8% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,754 to #4,575.
FAQ
Shirk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shirk?
Name Census estimates that about 8,607 living Americans carry the surname Shirk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,823 residents.
How common is Shirk?
Shirk ranks #4,575 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.51 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 7,506 people with the surname Shirk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,607), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.51 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 Shirk.
Has Shirk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shirk went from 7,448 recorded bearers to 7,506. That is an increase of 58 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,754 to #4,575.
What does the Census say about the background of Shirk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shirk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Shirk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (7,126 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shirk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (2.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Shirk (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 Shirk mean?
A metonymic occupational surname for a person who avoids work or responsibility, derived from the verb "shirk." 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 Shirk (2.51 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 Shirk?
You can see how many people have the last name Shirk on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.