Find out how popular the last name Shore is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shore.

Shore, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shore in America

Shore is the 3523rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shore surname appeared 10,130 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Shore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shore to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shore

The surname Shore is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "scor" meaning a shore, bank, or coastline. It is thought to have emerged as a topographic name given to individuals who resided near a shoreline or coastal area.

The earliest known records of the name Shore date back to the late 12th century, with references found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire from 1194. It is likely that the name originated in these coastal regions of England.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several listings of place names that may have influenced the surname Shore, such as Shorwell in the Isle of Wight and Shoreswood in Staffordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de la Shore, a landowner recorded in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1203. Another early mention is that of Robert atte Shore, listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

Notable individuals with the surname Shore throughout history include John Shore (1751-1834), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor-General of India from 1793 to 1798. Another prominent figure was Sir John Shore Bt. (1662-1752), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for East Grinstead.

In literature, the name Shore appears in works such as the medieval poem "Piers Plowman" by William Langland, where a character named "Shores Wyf" is mentioned. The surname is also associated with Jane Shore (c. 1445-1527), a mistress of King Edward IV of England, whose life inspired several literary works.

Other historical figures include the English architect William Shore Jr. (1591-1668), who designed several notable buildings in London, and John Shore (1670-1737), an English writer and translator known for his work on Latin and Greek texts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shore

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shore.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shore was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shore has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shore was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shore, please contact us.

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