2000
#108,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Shopbell
An occupational surname indicating an ancestor's occupation of ringing a bell to announce the opening of a shop or marketplace.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 167 Americans carry the last name Shopbell. That puts it at #123,817 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,052,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shopbell 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
167
1 in 2,052,421
Census rank
#123,817
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
146
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 146 bearers of the surname Shopbell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 123817th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shopbell, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shopbell
The surname Shopbell has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the occupational surname 'Shop Belle,' which referred to a person who rang the bell to announce the opening or closing of a shop or market stall.
In medieval times, many surnames were derived from occupations, and the surname Shopbell would have been given to someone whose role was to ring the bell signaling the start or end of business at a particular establishment. The name may have also been given to someone who lived near or worked in a shop with a bell.
The earliest known record of the surname Shopbell can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which mention a John Shopbell. Another early reference comes from the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1379, where a William Shopbell is listed.
As with many surnames, various spellings were used throughout history, including Shopbelle, Shoppbell, and Shoppbelle. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional accents or dialects, as well as the preferences of individual record keepers.
One notable bearer of the Shopbell surname was Sir John Shopbell (1520-1597), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1585. Another prominent figure was William Shopbell (1640-1712), a renowned clockmaker from Stratford-upon-Avon, who is credited with creating some of the finest timepieces of the 17th century.
In the 16th century, the Shopbell family established themselves in the village of Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, where they were known for their involvement in the local horn dance tradition. Thomas Shopbell (1565-1632) was a notable participant in this ancient ritual.
Other historical figures bearing the Shopbell surname include Elizabeth Shopbell (1675-1748), a prominent Quaker preacher from Bristol, and John Shopbell (1720-1795), a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.
While the surname Shopbell may have originated from a humble occupation, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, leaving a lasting legacy in various fields and locations across England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shopbell
Among Census respondents with the surname Shopbell, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shopbell 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 Shopbell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 121
- Two or more races6.8% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.8% · 7
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shopbell
Shopbell 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
#115,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
+1 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,300 places
2020
#123,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
-6 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 8,783 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #108,734 | 151 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,034 | 152 | 0.05 | +1 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 6,300 places |
| 2020 | #123,817 | 146 | 0.05 | -6 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 8,783 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 Shopbell 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 | #115,034 | #123,817 | -7.6% |
| Count | 152 | 146 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shopbell bearers went from 152 to 146 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 8,783 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,034 to #123,817.
FAQ
Shopbell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shopbell?
Name Census estimates that about 167 living Americans carry the surname Shopbell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,052,421 residents.
How common is Shopbell?
Shopbell ranks #123,817 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 146 people with the surname Shopbell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (167), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Shopbell.
Has Shopbell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shopbell went from 152 recorded bearers to 146. That is a decrease of 6 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #115,034 to #123,817.
What does the Census say about the background of Shopbell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shopbell, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Shopbell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shopbell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Two or More Races (6.8%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Shopbell (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 Shopbell mean?
An occupational surname indicating an ancestor's occupation of ringing a bell to announce the opening of a shop or marketplace. 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 Shopbell (0.05 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 Shopbell?
You can see how common the surname Shopbell is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.