Shortland
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "short land" or "short cultivated strip".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Shortland. That puts it at #138,304 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shortland surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#138,304
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Shortland in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 138304th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shortland, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shortland
The surname Shortland is of English origin, deriving from a geographical location in the county of Somerset. The name is believed to have its roots in the Old English words "sceort" and "land," which translate to "short" and "land" or "territory," respectively. This suggests that the name likely originated as a descriptive term for a person residing in a small or compact area of land.
In the early medieval period, the name appeared in various forms, such as Schortland, Shurtland, and Shurtlond. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Sortelande" in the county of Somerset.
Notable individuals bearing the Shortland surname include:
1. John Shortland (c. 1640-1692), an English naval officer and explorer who is credited with being the first European to sight and map the islands of Ahu Ahu and Rapanui, now known as Easter Island, in 1688.
2. Edward Shortland (1812-1893), a New Zealand politician and explorer who played a significant role in the early colonial history of the country. He served as the first Surveyor-General of New Zealand and later became a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council.
3. Willoughby Shortland (1804-1869), an English naval officer and explorer who served as the first Commandant of the Pitcairn Islands from 1838 to 1839. He was also involved in the resettlement of the Pitcairn Islanders to Norfolk Island in 1856.
4. Peter Shortland (born 1946), an Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Sutherland from 1988 to 2007.
5. Emily Shortland (1858-1946), a New Zealand writer and teacher who authored several works of fiction, including "The Millers of Baitogi" and "Chaucerian Fragments."
Throughout its history, the Shortland surname has been associated with various place names and locations, particularly in Somerset and surrounding areas. Some examples include Shortlands Farm in Taunton, Somerset, and Shortlands, a district in the London Borough of Bromley.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shortland
Among Census respondents with the surname Shortland, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Shortland bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Shortland surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9%
- Hispanic or Latino4.1%
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1%
- Unknown or suppressed0.8%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Shortland surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #134,929 | #138,304 | -2.5% |
| Count | 115 | 121 | 5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Shortland bearers went from 115 to 121 (+5.2% change). The surname moved down 3,375 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,929 to #138,304.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shortland
FAQ
Shortland surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Shortland?
The surname Shortland holds position #138,304 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 137 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Shortland surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shortland, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.