2000
#13,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,015
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Shorey
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "steep bank" or "steep hill" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,303 Americans carry the last name Shorey. That puts it at #14,332 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shorey 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Shorey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,829
Census rank
#14,332
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,008 bearers of the surname Shorey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14332nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shorey, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shorey
The surname Shorey is believed to have originated in England, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "scir," meaning "bright" or "shining," which could have been used to describe someone with a bright complexion or personality.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated around 1273, where a William Schory is mentioned. This early spelling variation is indicative of the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, records show the name appearing in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where a John Shorey was documented in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. The name's presence in different regions suggests that it may have originated in multiple places independently.
The Shorey surname also has links to certain place names in England. For instance, there is a hamlet called Shorey in Shropshire, which may have influenced the surname's development in that area.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Shorey surname. One such figure was Sir John Shorey (1472-1534), a prominent English diplomat and ambassador who served under King Henry VIII. Another was Edmund Shorey (1687-1761), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
In the 17th century, the name found its way to the American colonies, with records indicating the presence of a Samuel Shorey in Massachusetts as early as 1630. Over time, the Shorey family settled in various parts of New England, with some members achieving notable accomplishments.
John Leavitt Shorey (1830-1909) was an American lawyer and judge who served as a United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota. Samuel Herbert Shorey (1859-1919) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and judge who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
Another notable figure was Paul Shorey (1857-1934), an American classical scholar and professor at the University of Chicago, known for his translations of ancient Greek works and his contributions to the study of Greek literature.
The Shorey surname has persisted throughout the centuries, with various branches of the family tree establishing roots in different parts of the world, each carrying their own unique histories and stories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shorey
Among Census respondents with the surname Shorey, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Shorey 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 Shorey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 1,687
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 83
- Black or African American3.7% · 74
- Two or more races3.1% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shorey
Shorey 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
#14,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,083
+68 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 578 places
2020
#14,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,008
-75 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,780 | 2,015 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,358 | 2,083 | 0.71 | +68 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 578 places |
| 2020 | #14,332 | 2,008 | 0.67 | -75 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 26 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 Shorey 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 | #14,358 | #14,332 | 0.2% |
| Count | 2,083 | 2,008 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.67 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shorey bearers went from 2,083 to 2,008 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,358 to #14,332.
FAQ
Shorey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shorey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,303 living Americans carry the surname Shorey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,829 residents.
How common is Shorey?
Shorey ranks #14,332 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,008 people with the surname Shorey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,303), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Shorey.
Has Shorey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shorey went from 2,083 recorded bearers to 2,008. That is a decrease of 75 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,358 to #14,332.
What does the Census say about the background of Shorey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shorey, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Shorey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (1,687 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shorey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Shorey (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 Shorey mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "steep bank" or "steep hill" in Old English. 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 Shorey (0.67 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 Shorey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.