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

Short, 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 Short surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Short in America

Short is the 581st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Short surname appeared 57,477 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Short.

We can also compare 2010 data for Short 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 Short

The surname Short is an English name with origins dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "scort," which means "short" or "small in stature." This nickname likely referred to someone who was shorter than average height at the time.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Short can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as Scort, Scorte, and Shorte, indicating the evolution of the modern spelling over time.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Short became more widespread across England, particularly in counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. It was often associated with place names like Shortwood, Shortsfield, and Shortmead, reflecting the areas where families with this surname resided.

One notable bearer of the surname Short was William Short, an English diplomat and writer who lived from 1759 to 1849. He served as the United States Minister to the Netherlands and later to Spain, and was a close friend of Thomas Jefferson.

Another significant figure was Sir Frank Short, an English architect and designer who lived from 1857 to 1945. He is best known for his work on the Savoy Hotel in London and the Wembley Stadium.

In the literary world, Reginald Short was an English writer and critic born in 1890. He was a prominent figure in the Bloomsbury Group and wrote extensively on English literature and culture.

The surname Short was also influential in the field of science. Charles Wilkins Short, born in 1794, was an American botanist and physician known for his contributions to the study of plants and their medicinal properties.

Finally, one of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John Short, an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1556 during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs.

Throughout history, the surname Short has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, reflecting its widespread presence and longevity as an English surname. While its origins may have been humble, it has left an indelible mark across various fields and disciplines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Short

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!