2000
#2,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.01
Uncommon Last name
Shook
Derived from the Middle English word "schokken," meaning to shake or tremble, likely referring to a person's characteristics or actions.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,141 Americans carry the last name Shook. That puts it at #2,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,996 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shook 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
17K
1 in 19,996
Census rank
#2,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,948 bearers of the surname Shook in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shook, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shook
The surname Shook is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "scucca," which means "one who scares or frightens." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone with a fearsome or intimidating demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records and documents from England. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mention a person named William Shokke. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
Another early record is the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332, which lists a certain John Shok. This document provides evidence of the name's presence in different parts of England during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Shook was William Shook, born around 1450 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a landowner and farmer who lived during the Wars of the Roses.
In the 16th century, the surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1523, which record a John Shoke. This further illustrates the variations in spelling that occurred over time.
During the 17th century, a notable figure was Sir Robert Shook (1622-1687), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London. He played a significant role in the English Restoration and was knighted by King Charles II in 1660.
Another prominent individual was Samuel Shook (1678-1744), a Quaker minister and writer from Pennsylvania. He was a prominent figure in the early history of the American colonies and authored several religious works.
In the 18th century, the name Shook can be found in various parish records and census documents across England. One example is the baptismal record of William Shook, born in 1712 in the village of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
As the name spread to other parts of the world, particularly with the migration of English settlers, it took on different spellings and variations. For instance, in Scotland, the name Shuggie is believed to be a derivative of Shook.
Throughout history, the surname Shook has been associated with various occupations, ranging from farmers and merchants to ministers and writers. Its origins as a descriptive name reflect the diverse backgrounds and personalities of those who carried this surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shook
Among Census respondents with the surname Shook, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Shook 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 Shook surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 13,585
- Two or more races4.2% · 634
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 375
- Black or African American1.0% · 144
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 118
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 92
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shook
Shook 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
#2,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,070
-132 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 5.45
Rank movement Down 212 places
2020
#2,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,948
-1,122 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 5.00
Rank movement Down 123 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,050 | 16,202 | 6.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,262 | 16,070 | 5.45 | -132 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 212 places |
| 2020 | #2,385 | 14,948 | 5.00 | -1,122 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 123 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 Shook 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 | #2,262 | #2,385 | -5.4% |
| Count | 16,070 | 14,948 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 5.45 | 5.00 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shook bearers went from 16,070 to 14,948 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 123 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,262 to #2,385.
FAQ
Shook surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shook?
Name Census estimates that about 17,141 living Americans carry the surname Shook. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,996 residents.
How common is Shook?
Shook ranks #2,385 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,948 people with the surname Shook. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,141), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Shook.
Has Shook become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shook went from 16,070 recorded bearers to 14,948. That is a decrease of 1,122 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,262 to #2,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Shook?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shook, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Shook in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (13,585 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shook appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Shook (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 Shook mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "schokken," meaning to shake or tremble, likely referring to a person's characteristics or actions. 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 Shook (5.00 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 surname Shook?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.