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

Shriver, 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 Shriver surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shriver in America

Shriver is the 5817th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shriver surname appeared 5,942 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 Shriver.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shriver 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 Shriver

The surname Shriver has its origins in Germany and is derived from the German word "Schreiber," which means "scribe" or "writer." This name came into existence during the Middle Ages when scribes were highly respected for their ability to read and write, skills that were not common among the general population at the time.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Shriver can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and the Rhineland. The name was often spelled in various ways, including Schreiber, Schryver, and Shreyver, reflecting the regional variations in language and pronunciation.

One of the earliest known references to the name Shriver can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Johannes Schreiber was mentioned in a document dated 1412. This document relates to a land transaction, indicating that the Schreiber family was well-established in the city at that time.

As the surname Shriver spread across Europe, it also found its way into other regions, such as the Netherlands and France, where it was adapted to local spellings and pronunciations. In the Netherlands, for example, the name was sometimes spelled as "Schryver" or "Schryvere."

Notable individuals with the surname Shriver throughout history include Hans Schreiber (1495-1555), a German artist and engraver known for his woodcuts and engravings depicting biblical scenes and portraits of notable figures of his time. Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Schreiber (1676-1756), a German composer and organist who served as the court organist for the Duke of Saxe-Weimar.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Shriver was John Shriver (1807-1890), an American politician and businessman from Maryland who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855.

The name Shriver also has connections to the literary world, with authors such as Maria Shriver (born 1955), a renowned journalist and author of several books on empowerment and self-improvement, and Chris Shriver (born 1975), an American novelist and short story writer.

Overall, the surname Shriver has a rich history rooted in the profession of scribes and writers, with its origins tracing back to medieval Germany. Throughout the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made their mark in various fields, from art and music to politics and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shriver

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

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

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

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