2000
#14,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,895
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Shriner
A surname referring to a person who traveled to or made a pilgrimage to a holy shrine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,999 Americans carry the last name Shriner. That puts it at #16,062 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 171,463 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shriner 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.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 171,463
Census rank
#16,062
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,743 bearers of the surname Shriner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16062nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shriner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shriner
The surname Shriner originates from the German language and is believed to have originated in the late 15th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. It is derived from the German word "Schreiner," which means "carpenter" or "woodworker." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals involved in the woodworking trade or profession.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shriner can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Bavaria, dating back to the late 16th century. The records mention a certain Hans Shriner, a skilled carpenter who crafted intricate wooden furniture for the local nobility. This entry provides valuable insight into the occupational origins of the surname.
In the 17th century, the Shriner name appeared in various church records and village registries across southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Franconia and Swabia. During this period, the name underwent minor spelling variations, such as "Schreiner" and "Schreynner," reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations.
As the Shriner family spread across Europe, they established themselves in various professions beyond woodworking. Notable individuals with this surname include Johann Shriner, a renowned clockmaker from Augsburg, born in 1712, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the wealthy elite of the time.
In the 19th century, the Shriner name found its way to the United States through German immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Friedrich Shriner, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1832 and became a successful farmer and landowner.
Another prominent figure with the Shriner surname was William Shriner, born in 1857 in Ohio. He was a prominent businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Shriners International, a fraternal organization dedicated to supporting children's hospitals and charitable causes.
Other notable individuals with the Shriner surname include:
1. Henry Shriner (1820-1892), an American businessman and politician who served as the 14th Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio.
2. Susanna Shriner (1809-1889), a German-American writer and educator known for her contributions to the education of young women in Pennsylvania.
3. Jacob Shriner (1785-1861), a Pennsylvania-born soldier who fought in the War of 1812 and later became a respected community leader.
4. Gertrude Shriner (1876-1956), an American artist and illustrator renowned for her children's book illustrations and magazine cover designs.
Throughout its history, the Shriner surname has maintained its connection to its German roots, reflecting the craftsmanship and industriousness of its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shriner
Among Census respondents with the surname Shriner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Shriner 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 Shriner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 1,582
- Two or more races4.2% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 17
- Black or African American0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shriner
Shriner 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
#15,074
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,957
+62 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 625 places
2020
#16,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,743
-214 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Down 988 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,449 | 1,895 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,074 | 1,957 | 0.66 | +62 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 625 places |
| 2020 | #16,062 | 1,743 | 0.58 | -214 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 988 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 Shriner 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 | #15,074 | #16,062 | -6.6% |
| Count | 1,957 | 1,743 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.58 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shriner bearers went from 1,957 to 1,743 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 988 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,074 to #16,062.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shriner
FAQ
Shriner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shriner?
Name Census estimates that about 1,999 living Americans carry the surname Shriner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 171,463 residents.
How common is Shriner?
Shriner ranks #16,062 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.58 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 1,743 people with the surname Shriner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,999), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.58 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 Shriner.
Has Shriner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shriner went from 1,957 recorded bearers to 1,743. That is a decrease of 214 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,074 to #16,062.
What does the Census say about the background of Shriner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shriner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Shriner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (1,582 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shriner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Shriner (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 Shriner mean?
A surname referring to a person who traveled to or made a pilgrimage to a holy shrine. 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 Shriner (0.58 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 common is the surname Shriner?
If you just want to know how common the surname Shriner is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.