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

Shreve, 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 Shreve surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shreve in America

Shreve is the 5503rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shreve surname appeared 6,321 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Shreve.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shreve 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 Shreve

The surname SHREVE is believed to have originated in England, likely deriving from an Old English word meaning "shrew" or "shrive," which referred to a scolding person or someone who heard confessions. The name may also be linked to the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Scireve" and "Shreve." This indicates that the name was already in use by the 11th century in various spellings.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Shreue" and "Shreue" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire and Huntingdonshire, respectively. These records suggest that the name was well-established in different parts of England during this period.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name was Sir John Shreve, a knight who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He was a prominent figure in Shropshire and held lands in the area.

Another notable person with the surname SHREVE was Sir Ralph Shreve, who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1391. He was a wealthy merchant and played a significant role in the City of London's governance during the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including "Shreeve" and "Shrive." One example is William Shrive, a member of the Worshipful Company of Salters in London, who was born in 1542.

During the 17th century, the name was found in various parts of England, with records indicating individuals named SHREVE residing in counties such as Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, and Berkshire. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Shreve, a merchant and ship owner from Bristol, who was born in 1610.

In the 18th century, the SHREVE name continued to be present in England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties like Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. One prominent individual was Benjamin Shreve, a successful businessman and landowner from Gloucestershire, who was born in 1725.

Throughout its history, the surname SHREVE has been associated with various place names, such as Shrewsbury in Shropshire, which may have influenced the name's origin and spelling variations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shreve

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

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

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

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