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

Shores, 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 Shores surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shores in America

Shores is the 4613th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shores surname appeared 7,691 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 Shores.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shores 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 Shores

The surname Shores has its origins in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "scor," meaning a shore or bank, and was likely used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near the shore or coast.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shores can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where a Richard de laShore is mentioned. This suggests that the name was initially used as a locational surname, indicating a person's place of residence.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as de la Shor, de la Shore, and de la Shora, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The name was particularly prevalent in the coastal regions of southern England, including counties like Dorset, Hampshire, and Sussex.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a John de la Shure in Wiltshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327 mention a Thomas atte Shore, demonstrating the transition from the locational prefix "de la" to the more common "atte" form.

One notable figure bearing the Shores surname was Sir John Shores (c. 1450-1528), a wealthy merchant and influential figure in the city of Bristol during the reign of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He served as Sheriff of Bristol and was instrumental in the construction of the city's famous Frome Gate.

Another prominent individual was Samuel Shores (1641-1696), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Hartley Wespall in Hampshire. He published several works, including a treatise on the Book of Revelation.

In the 18th century, the Shores family had established themselves in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where William Shores (1721-1798) was a notable landowner and philanthropist, contributing to the construction of schools and almshouses in the village of Easingwold.

The name Shores has also been found in historical records from Scotland, with instances such as Alexander Shores, who was granted land in the Barony of Glenapp in Ayrshire in the late 16th century.

A notable Scottish figure was John Shores (1751-1831), a prominent merchant and shipowner from Aberdeen, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shores

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

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 Shores 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 Shores 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 Shores was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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