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

Shropshire, 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 Shropshire surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shropshire in America

Shropshire is the 7457th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shropshire surname appeared 4,469 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 Shropshire.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shropshire 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 Shropshire

The surname Shropshire is an English locational name derived from the county of Shropshire, located in the West Midlands region of England. The name Shropshire itself is believed to have originated from the Old English words "scrop" or "scrobb," meaning a shrub or bush, and "scir," meaning a shire or county.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Shropshire can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire from 1273. These rolls were early census-like records compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert de Shropshire, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, providing insights into the economic and administrative affairs of the time.

In the 14th century, the name Shropshire appeared in various forms, such as Schropschire, Shrobbeshire, and Shrovesbury, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized orthography.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Shropshire. However, it does record information about the county of Shropshire, referred to as "Sciropscire" or "Scrobesberie."

Notable individuals with the surname Shropshire throughout history include:

1. William Shropshire (c. 1585-1655), an English playwright and author known for his work "The Youthes Paradoxe" published in 1630.
2. John Shropshire (1663-1718), a British architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London and the surrounding areas.
3. Mary Shropshire (1777-1849), a Scottish botanist and naturalist known for her contributions to the study of British flora.
4. Sir George Shropshire (1825-1901), a British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny.
5. Ethel Shropshire (1886-1976), an American artist and painter known for her landscape and still-life works in the Impressionist style.

The surname Shropshire has also been associated with various place names within the county itself, such as Shropshire Hills, Shropshire Union Canal, and Shropshire Bedlams, a breed of sheep native to the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shropshire

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

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

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

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