2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shoppell
A surname likely derived from the German "Schoppel" meaning sheaf or bundle of unspun fibers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Shoppell. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shoppell 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Shoppell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shoppell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shoppell
The surname Shoppell has its origins in Germany and is believed to have been derived from the Old High German word "schop," which referred to a small shop or stall where goods were sold. This surname likely emerged in the Middle Ages, during the rise of trade and commerce in medieval European towns and cities.
Early records of the Shoppell name can be found in various German regions, particularly in areas with thriving merchant communities. It is possible that some of the earliest bearers of this surname were shopkeepers, traders, or merchants who owned or operated small businesses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shoppell name appears in a 14th-century document from the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Johann Shoppell is mentioned as a respected merchant and guild member. This suggests that the name had already been established in that region by the 14th century.
Over time, as families migrated and settled in different parts of Europe, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Schoppel, Schöppel, and Shöpfel. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and linguistic influences.
Notable historical figures with the Shoppell surname include Hans Shoppell (1532-1591), a renowned clockmaker from Augsburg, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and the wealthy. Another prominent individual was Anna Maria Shoppell (1675-1743), a renowned scholar and writer from Leipzig, who contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of her time.
In the 17th century, the Shoppell family established a presence in the Netherlands, where they were involved in the thriving textile trade. Pieter Shoppell (1616-1682), a merchant from Amsterdam, was known for his successful import and export business, trading in luxury fabrics and textiles.
As the Shoppell name spread across Europe, it found its way to other regions, including England and France. One notable example is William Shoppell (1789-1863), an English architect and civil engineer who designed several iconic buildings in London and played a crucial role in the city's urban development during the Industrial Revolution.
Throughout its history, the Shoppell surname has been associated with various professions, from merchants and artisans to scholars and professionals in various fields. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical fabric of several European nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shoppell
Among Census respondents with the surname Shoppell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shoppell 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 Shoppell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 104
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shoppell
Shoppell 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 648 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,814 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 648 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 6,814 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 Shoppell 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 | #141,140 | #147,954 | -4.8% |
| Count | 118 | 112 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shoppell bearers went from 118 to 112 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 6,814 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,954.
FAQ
Shoppell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shoppell?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Shoppell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Shoppell?
Shoppell ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Shoppell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Shoppell.
Has Shoppell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shoppell went from 118 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Shoppell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shoppell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Shoppell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shoppell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Black (1.8%). 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 Shoppell (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 Shoppell mean?
A surname likely derived from the German "Schoppel" meaning sheaf or bundle of unspun fibers. 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 Shoppell (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 common is the surname Shoppell?
You can see how many people have the surname Shoppell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.