2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shoffeitt
An Anglicized spelling of a German surname derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Shoffeitt. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shoffeitt 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Shoffeitt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shoffeitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shoffeitt
The surname Shoffeitt is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "scofl" and "feith," which together translate to "one who shovels or moves earth." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with occupations such as farming or manual labor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shoffeitt name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Scoffeit," a variation likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors common during that era.
In the 13th century, records from the village of Shoffeitt in Derbyshire mention a landowner named Robert de Shoffeitt, indicating that the surname may have been derived from a place name. This village was likely named after an early settler or landowner with the occupational name Shoffeitt.
During the 16th century, the Shoffeitt name appears in various historical documents, including parish records and court proceedings. One notable individual from this period was John Shoffeitt (1524-1592), a merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire who played a role in the local wool trade.
In the 17th century, the Shoffeitt family seems to have expanded their influence, with several members holding positions of prominence. William Shoffeitt (1631-1701) was a successful lawyer and judge in London, while his contemporary, Thomas Shoffeitt (1645-1718), was a renowned physician and author of several medical treatises.
As the centuries progressed, the Shoffeitt name continued to appear in various historical records, including those of notable figures such as:
1. Elizabeth Shoffeitt (1789-1862), a philanthropist and social reformer who advocated for better living conditions for the poor in Manchester.
2. Samuel Shoffeitt (1821-1895), a respected architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in Liverpool.
3. Margaret Shoffeitt (1856-1932), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first girls' schools in Birmingham.
4. Edward Shoffeitt (1875-1941), a renowned explorer and naturalist who documented previously undiscovered plant and animal species in the Amazon rainforest.
5. Henry Shoffeitt (1902-1978), a celebrated artist and sculptor whose works are displayed in various museums across Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shoffeitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Shoffeitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Shoffeitt 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 Shoffeitt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 5
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shoffeitt
Shoffeitt 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-11 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,115 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 21,115 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,405 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 Shoffeitt 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 | #156,044 | #151,639 | 2.8% |
| Count | 104 | 107 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shoffeitt bearers went from 104 to 107 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,405 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #151,639.
FAQ
Shoffeitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shoffeitt?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Shoffeitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Shoffeitt?
Shoffeitt ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Shoffeitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Shoffeitt.
Has Shoffeitt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shoffeitt went from 104 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Shoffeitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shoffeitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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 Shoffeitt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shoffeitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Hispanic (6.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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 Shoffeitt (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 Shoffeitt mean?
An Anglicized spelling of a German surname derived from a place name. 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 Shoffeitt (0.04 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 share the surname Shoffeitt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.