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

Shows, 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 Shows surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shows in America

Shows is the 11648th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shows surname appeared 2,691 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 Shows.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shows 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 Shows

The surname "SHOWS" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely deriving from an occupational name for someone who made or repaired shoes. It may have stemmed from the Old English word "sceoh," which referred to a shoe or boot.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landholders across England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be early variations of the surname, such as "Scowere" and "Schowere." These entries suggest that the name was present in various regions of the country during the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John le Showers, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1273. These rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, indicating that the surname had become established by the 13th century.

The variant spelling "Shows" likely emerged later, possibly influenced by the pronunciation of the name or regional dialect variations. In the 16th century, there are records of a Thomas Showes, who was born in Somerset around 1520 and worked as a shoemaker.

A notable figure from history with this surname was Sir Randolph Shows (1592-1659), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and supporter of King Charles I.

Another individual of note was Richard Shows (1625-1692), an English Puritan minister and author who served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army during the Civil War. He later became a prominent figure in the Nonconformist movement and wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Mary Shows (1737-1810), a British philanthropist and social reformer who worked to improve conditions in prisons and advocated for the education of women.

During the 19th century, John Shows (1818-1892) was a successful businessman and industrialist in the textile industry in Manchester, England. He played a significant role in the development of the city's thriving textile trade.

Throughout its history, the surname "SHOWS" has maintained a presence in various regions of England, particularly in the West Country and Somerset, where it may have originated. While the name has evolved in spelling over time, its roots can be traced back to the medieval era and the occupation of shoemaking.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shows

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

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

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

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