2000
#88,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 196
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Sholder
An Anglicized spelling of the German surname Schuler (or Schüler), referring to a person who worked as a school teacher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 213 Americans carry the last name Sholder. That puts it at #102,982 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,609,175 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sholder 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
213
1 in 1,609,175
Census rank
#102,982
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
186
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 186 bearers of the surname Sholder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102982nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sholder, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sholder
The surname SHOLDER is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Olde English word "scealdor," which means "shoulder." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive term for someone with broad or prominent shoulders.
SHOLDER is a locational surname, indicating that early bearers of the name hailed from a specific place. Many locations in England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire, contain variations of the word "shoulder" in their names, such as Shoulton and Shrawley. It is highly likely that the SHOLDER surname emerged from one of these areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SHOLDER surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. In 1584, a Thomas Sholder was listed as a witness to a christening ceremony. This entry provides evidence of the surname's existence in the region during the 16th century.
Another notable mention of the SHOLDER name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Redditch, Worcestershire, dating back to 1631. In these records, a John Sholder is listed as a tenant farmer, indicating that the surname was well-established among the local farming community at the time.
Throughout history, several individuals bearing the SHOLDER surname have achieved prominence in various fields. One such figure was William Sholder (1640-1708), a renowned merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire. He was instrumental in establishing trade routes between England and the American colonies, contributing significantly to the economic growth of the region.
In the realm of literature, Emily Sholder (1812-1879), a poet and writer from Warwickshire, gained recognition for her collection of poems titled "Verses from the Countryside." Her works provided a vivid portrayal of rural life and the natural beauty of the English countryside.
During the 19th century, James Sholder (1825-1892) made a name for himself as a skilled architect. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the prestigious Sholder Hall, which still stands today as a testament to his architectural prowess.
In the field of education, Dr. Elizabeth Sholder (1870-1948) left an indelible mark. She was one of the first female professors at Oxford University and played a pivotal role in promoting women's education and equal opportunities in academia.
Finally, a more recent figure, Sir Robert Sholder (1920-2005), achieved distinction as a renowned diplomat. He served as the British Ambassador to several countries and was widely respected for his diplomatic skills and contributions to international relations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sholder
Among Census respondents with the surname Sholder, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sholder 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 Sholder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 178
- Two or more races3.2% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sholder
Sholder 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
#97,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 187
-9 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 9,127 places
2020
#102,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186
-1 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 5,772 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #88,083 | 196 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #97,210 | 187 | 0.06 | -9 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 9,127 places |
| 2020 | #102,982 | 186 | 0.06 | -1 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 5,772 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 Sholder 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 | #97,210 | #102,982 | -5.9% |
| Count | 187 | 186 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sholder bearers went from 187 to 186 (-0.5% change). The surname moved down 5,772 positions in the national ranking, going from #97,210 to #102,982.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sholder
FAQ
Sholder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sholder?
Name Census estimates that about 213 living Americans carry the surname Sholder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,609,175 residents.
How common is Sholder?
Sholder ranks #102,982 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 186 people with the surname Sholder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (213), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Sholder.
Has Sholder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sholder went from 187 recorded bearers to 186. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #97,210 to #102,982.
What does the Census say about the background of Sholder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sholder, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.1%). 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 Sholder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (178 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sholder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (1.1%). 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 Sholder (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 Sholder mean?
An Anglicized spelling of the German surname Schuler (or Schüler), referring to a person who worked as a school teacher. 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 Sholder (0.06 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 Sholder?
If you just want to know how many people are called Sholder, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.