2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shol
A surname referring to Jewish families from the village of Scholle in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Shol. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shol 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Shol in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shol, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Hispanic (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shol
The surname SHOL is believed to have originated in the north-eastern region of England, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland, during the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "scolu," which meant a troop or band of people, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who belonged to a particular group or clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John Shol is listed as a resident of the village of Ripon. The name also appears in various administrative and legal documents from the 15th and 16th centuries, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield and the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire.
In the late 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Richard Shol, a merchant and landowner from the town of Beverley in East Yorkshire. He was recorded as having acquired substantial property holdings in the area and served as a local magistrate during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent individual with this surname was William Shol, born in 1612 in the village of Earsdon, Northumberland. He was a renowned scholar and theologian, graduating from the University of Cambridge and later becoming the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he served until his death in 1678.
During the English Civil War in the mid-17th century, a Captain John Shol is mentioned in several historical accounts as having fought for the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He is recorded as having participated in the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644, where he reportedly distinguished himself in combat against the Royalists.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the SHOL surname was Samuel Shol, born in 1725 in the village of Hartburn, Northumberland. He was a successful merchant and shipowner, establishing a thriving trade business that operated out of the port of Newcastle upon Tyne. Shol was also involved in local politics and served as a town councilor for several years.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Shol, born in 1789 in the town of Barnsley, Yorkshire. She was a prominent figure in the early 19th century women's rights movement and worked tirelessly to promote education and social reform for women and children in her local community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shol
Among Census respondents with the surname Shol, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Hispanic (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Shol 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 Shol surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.5% · 66
- Black or African American26.1% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.0% · 6
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shol
Shol appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+11 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,744 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 8,744 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 Shol 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 | #151,532 | #142,788 | 5.8% |
| Count | 108 | 119 | 10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shol bearers went from 108 to 119 (+10.2% change). The surname moved up 8,744 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #142,788.
FAQ
Shol surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shol?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Shol. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Shol?
Shol ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Shol. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Shol.
Has Shol become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shol went from 108 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 11 (+10.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Shol?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shol, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Hispanic (7.6%). 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 Shol in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.5% (66 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shol appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.5%), Black (26.1%), Hispanic (7.6%). 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 Shol (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 Shol mean?
A surname referring to Jewish families from the village of Scholle in Germany. 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 Shol (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 Shol?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.