2000
#9,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,091
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Shue
Derived from the German word "Schuh," referring to a shoemaker or someone who works with shoes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,431 Americans carry the last name Shue. That puts it at #10,248 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,899 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shue 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
3.4K
1 in 99,899
Census rank
#10,248
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,992 bearers of the surname Shue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10248th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shue, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shue
The surname "SHUE" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "schue" or "schu," which referred to a shoemaker or cobbler. In those times, surnames were often based on a person's occupation or trade, making it likely that the name was initially used to identify individuals who worked as shoemakers or cobblers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "SHUE" can be found in the German town of Worms, where a shoemaker named Hans Shue was documented in the town's records in 1542. The name also appeared in various other German regions, such as Bavaria and Saxony, during the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the 18th century, the surname "SHUE" began to spread beyond Germany, as many German immigrants sought new opportunities in other parts of Europe and eventually in the Americas. One notable figure from this era was Johann Georg Shue, a German-born painter who lived from 1708 to 1788 and is known for his portraits and religious works.
As the name traveled, its spelling often varied, with variations such as "Schuh," "Schue," and "Shoe" appearing in different regions. In some cases, the name also evolved into other forms, such as "Shew" or "Shoo," reflecting local pronunciation and spelling conventions.
In the United States, the surname "SHUE" can be traced back to the late 18th century, when German immigrants began arriving in significant numbers. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States is that of Johann Michael Shue, who was born in Germany in 1755 and later settled in Pennsylvania.
Throughout the 19th century, several individuals with the surname "SHUE" made notable contributions in various fields. For example, Henry A. Shue was a prominent American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855. Another notable figure was David M. Shue, a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, who was born in 1825 and served with distinction in several major battles.
As the 20th century dawned, the name "SHUE" continued to be carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds. One notable figure was Dr. Henry Shue, a philosophy professor and influential scholar in the field of human rights, who was born in 1942 and made significant contributions to the study of just war theory and international ethics.
Throughout its history, the surname "SHUE" has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, from skilled tradesmen and craftspeople to artists, soldiers, politicians, and academics. While its origins can be traced back to the shoemaking trade in Germany, the name has taken on a rich tapestry of meanings and associations as it has spread across different regions and cultures over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shue
Among Census respondents with the surname Shue, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Shue 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 Shue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 2,531
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.4% · 280
- Two or more races3.6% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 41
- Black or African American0.7% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shue
Shue 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
#10,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,155
+64 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 567 places
2020
#10,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,992
-163 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,648 | 3,091 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,215 | 3,155 | 1.07 | +64 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 567 places |
| 2020 | #10,248 | 2,992 | 1.00 | -163 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 33 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 Shue 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 | #10,215 | #10,248 | -0.3% |
| Count | 3,155 | 2,992 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 1.00 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shue bearers went from 3,155 to 2,992 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,215 to #10,248.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shue
FAQ
Shue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shue?
Name Census estimates that about 3,431 living Americans carry the surname Shue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,899 residents.
How common is Shue?
Shue ranks #10,248 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,992 people with the surname Shue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,431), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Shue.
Has Shue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shue went from 3,155 recorded bearers to 2,992. That is a decrease of 163 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,215 to #10,248.
What does the Census say about the background of Shue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shue, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Shue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (2,531 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Shue (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 Shue mean?
Derived from the German word "Schuh," referring to a shoemaker or someone who works with shoes. 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 Shue (1.00 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 many people have the last name Shue?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Shue, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.