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

Shortnacy, 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 Shortnacy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shortnacy in America

Shortnacy is the 77522nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shortnacy surname appeared 247 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shortnacy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shortnacy 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 Shortnacy

The surname SHORTNACY has its origins in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture that once thrived in the British Isles. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sceort" and "næcc," which together transliterate to "short neck." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this moniker were individuals with a distinct physical characteristic – a relatively shorter neck than the average person.

One of the earliest records of the SHORTNACY surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Scortnacce." This renowned manuscript, commissioned by William the Conqueror, served as a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation across much of England and parts of Wales.

During the Middle Ages, the surname underwent various spelling variations, such as "Shortnacke," "Shortnack," and "Shorteneck," as was common with many surnames of the era due to inconsistent record-keeping practices and the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the SHORTNACY name was Sir Robert Shortnacy, a knight who fought valiantly in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born in 1327 and perished on the battlefield in 1385.

Another historical figure of note was Elizabeth Shortnacy, a prominent businesswoman in the city of London during the late 16th century. She owned and operated a successful tavern and was well-respected within the local community.

The surname also found its way across the Atlantic Ocean during the great waves of British migration to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries. One such individual was John Shortnacy, who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638 and later became a prosperous landowner.

In the 19th century, the SHORTNACY surname gained further recognition with the achievements of William Shortnacy, a renowned architect who designed several prominent buildings in the city of Philadelphia, including the Academy of Music, which still stands today.

Additionally, the name is linked to the village of Shortnacre in Oxfordshire, England, which likely derived its name from the same linguistic roots as the surname, further reinforcing the historical connections between the two.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shortnacy

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

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

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

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