2000
#7,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,256
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Shiver
An English occupational surname referring to a wood shaver, such as a carpenter or woodcutter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,571 Americans carry the last name Shiver. That puts it at #7,967 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,985 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shiver 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
4.6K
1 in 74,985
Census rank
#7,967
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,986 bearers of the surname Shiver in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7967th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shiver, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shiver
The surname Shiver is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is likely derived from the Old English word "scyfan," which means "to move quickly or agitate." This suggests that the name may have been originally given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a nervous or fidgety disposition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a person named William Shyvere is mentioned as residing in Oxfordshire. The name also appears in various medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a John Shivere is listed in Somerset.
The name has undergone several spelling variations over the centuries, including Shyver, Shyvere, and Shivere. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation that were common in earlier times.
While the surname Shiver is not particularly widespread, it has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was John Shiver (1639-1696), an English farmer and landowner from Gloucestershire, who is mentioned in local parish records of the time.
Another individual of note was Thomas Shiver (1722-1798), a merchant and shipping magnate from Liverpool, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the name was held by William Shiver (1815-1892), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in South America and documented many new species of plants and animals.
Moving into the 20th century, we find Margaret Shiver (1901-1982), an American author and educator who wrote several books on children's literature and teaching methods.
Finally, a more contemporary figure is Mark Shiver (born 1968), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist known for his work in promoting sustainable development and environmental conservation.
It is worth noting that while the surname Shiver has historical roots in England, it has since spread to various other parts of the world, likely through migration and immigration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the British Isles and the descriptive nickname given to an individual with a particular physical characteristic or behavior.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shiver
Among Census respondents with the surname Shiver, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Shiver 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 Shiver surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.8% · 3,220
- Black or African American12.3% · 490
- Two or more races3.5% · 138
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shiver
Shiver 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
#7,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,238
-18 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 581 places
2020
#7,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,986
-252 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,231 | 4,256 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,812 | 4,238 | 1.44 | -18 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 581 places |
| 2020 | #7,967 | 3,986 | 1.33 | -252 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 155 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 Shiver 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 | #7,812 | #7,967 | -2.0% |
| Count | 4,238 | 3,986 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.33 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shiver bearers went from 4,238 to 3,986 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 155 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,812 to #7,967.
FAQ
Shiver surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shiver?
Name Census estimates that about 4,571 living Americans carry the surname Shiver. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,985 residents.
How common is Shiver?
Shiver ranks #7,967 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,986 people with the surname Shiver. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,571), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Shiver.
Has Shiver become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shiver went from 4,238 recorded bearers to 3,986. That is a decrease of 252 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,812 to #7,967.
What does the Census say about the background of Shiver?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shiver, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Shiver in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.8% (3,220 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shiver appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.8%), Black (12.3%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Shiver (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 Shiver mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a wood shaver, such as a carpenter or woodcutter. 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 Shiver (1.33 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 Shiver?
See how many people have the last name Shiver on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.