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

Shortt, 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 Shortt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shortt in America

Shortt is the 11163rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shortt surname appeared 2,834 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Shortt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shortt 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 Shortt

The surname Shortt originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English word "scort," meaning short or small in stature. This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was short in height.

The earliest known record of the name Shortt dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Scortus" in Oxfordshire. During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms, such as Shorte, Schort, and Shurte, due to the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

In the 13th century, the name Shortt was found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record of landowners and their properties. Several Shortt families were documented in this record, indicating their presence in the region.

One notable individual with the surname Shortt was Sir John Shortt, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived in the 15th century. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1471 and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.

In the 16th century, the name Shortt appeared in the records of the Parish of Wokingham in Berkshire, where several families with this surname were documented. One significant figure from this time was Thomas Shortt, a renowned scholar and theologian who studied at Oxford University and later became the rector of Wokingham.

During the 17th century, the Shortt family had a strong presence in the county of Somerset, where they owned lands and properties. One notable member was William Shortt, born in 1632, who served as a justice of the peace and was a prominent figure in the local community.

In the 18th century, the name Shortt spread to other parts of England and even to Scotland. One notable individual was Robert Shortt, born in 1712 in Edinburgh, who was a renowned mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

Another notable figure from this period was Sir John Shortt, born in 1768 in Lincolnshire. He was a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded several honors for his bravery and leadership.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shortt

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shortt, 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!