2000
#12,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,283
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Shortridge
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a short ridge or strip of elevated ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,525 Americans carry the last name Shortridge. That puts it at #13,272 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shortridge 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 Shortridge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,744
Census rank
#13,272
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,202 bearers of the surname Shortridge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13272nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shortridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shortridge
The surname Shortridge is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a short ridge or hill. The earliest known spelling variations include Shorteridge, Shortyridge, and Shortridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1242, where it appears as "Robert de Shorterigge." This suggests that the name was already well-established by the 13th century in England.
In the 16th century, records show a Thomas Shortridge from Northamptonshire, born around 1520. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several documents related to property transactions in the region.
The Shortridge name also appears in the Hearth Tax returns of the late 17th century, which listed households and their tax obligations based on the number of hearths or fireplaces in their homes. This provides evidence of the name's continued presence in various parts of England during that time.
One notable figure bearing the Shortridge surname was Sir John Shortridge (1640-1712), a wealthy merchant and politician from London. He served as an alderman and Sheriff of the City of London, and was knighted by King William III in 1695.
Another significant individual was Reverend Thomas Shortridge (1768-1848), an English clergyman and author. He served as the vicar of Boxford, Berkshire, and wrote several religious works, including "A Scriptural View of the Millennium" and "A Treatise on the English Liturgy."
In the 19th century, Captain William Shortridge (1814-1887) gained recognition as a British naval officer and explorer. He served in the East Indies and surveyed various parts of the Indian Ocean, contributing valuable information to navigation charts and geographical knowledge.
Moving into the 20th century, notable figures include Samuel Shortridge (1861-1939), a prominent American lawyer and politician. He served as a United States Senator from California from 1920 to 1933 and was a vocal advocate for civil rights and labor reforms.
Overall, the surname Shortridge has a rich history spanning several centuries, with roots deeply embedded in the English countryside and a presence in various walks of life, from landowners and clergymen to merchants, explorers, and politicians.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shortridge
Among Census respondents with the surname Shortridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shortridge 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 Shortridge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 1,884
- Black or African American7.0% · 155
- Two or more races3.8% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shortridge
Shortridge 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
#13,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,360
+77 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 536 places
2020
#13,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,202
-158 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 265 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,471 | 2,283 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,007 | 2,360 | 0.80 | +77 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 536 places |
| 2020 | #13,272 | 2,202 | 0.74 | -158 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 265 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 Shortridge 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 | #13,007 | #13,272 | -2.0% |
| Count | 2,360 | 2,202 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.74 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shortridge bearers went from 2,360 to 2,202 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 265 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,007 to #13,272.
FAQ
Shortridge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shortridge?
Name Census estimates that about 2,525 living Americans carry the surname Shortridge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,744 residents.
How common is Shortridge?
Shortridge ranks #13,272 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,202 people with the surname Shortridge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,525), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Shortridge.
Has Shortridge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shortridge went from 2,360 recorded bearers to 2,202. That is a decrease of 158 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,007 to #13,272.
What does the Census say about the background of Shortridge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shortridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Shortridge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (1,884 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shortridge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (7.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Shortridge (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 Shortridge mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a short ridge or strip of elevated ground. 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 Shortridge (0.74 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 are called Shortridge?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Shortridge, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.