2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Whiteshield
An English surname referring to someone who carried a white shield.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Whiteshield. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whiteshield 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Whiteshield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiteshield, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 75.7%. The next largest groups are White (9.9%) and Hispanic (9.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whiteshield
The surname Whiteshield originates from England during the medieval period. It is generally believed to have roots in the Norman Conquest of 1066, when surnames began to take on more significance. The name Whiteshield was likely derived from a combination of Old English and Old Norman terms: "hwit" meaning white and "scield" meaning shield. The white shield was often a symbol of purity and defense during the medieval times, possibly indicating a family’s association with knighthood or military service.
In the early records of England, the surname Whiteshield appears sparsely. One of the earliest mentions is a document from the 12th century which details a land grant in the county of Yorkshire. The record lists a "Richard Whiteshield" as a witness to the transaction. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a "Thomas Whiteshield" is mentioned as residing in Leicestershire.
During the 14th century, the surname gained more recognition. In 1324, a "Sir Geoffrey Whiteshield" was documented as a knight participating in the wars against Scotland. His name appears in several military rolls and charters pertaining to the time of King Edward II. Geoffrey’s lineage continued to be significant in English history, with records from the 15th century mentioning a "William Whiteshield" who served as a squire under Henry V during the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
While the Whiteshield name was primarily found in England, it spread to other regions over time. In the 17th century, a migration of the Whiteshield family to America is documented with a "John Whiteshield" who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony around 1635. His descendants played a role in the early development of the colony, with papers and deeds bearing his name still preserved in local archives.
The surname continued to feature in English history through individuals like "Catherine Whiteshield", a writer and poet of the early 18th century. Her work, although not very widely circulated, contributed to the local literary circles of her time. Another notable figure includes "Edward Whiteshield", an officer in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars, born in 1785 and documented for his service in battles such as the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Examining variations and older spellings, Whiteshield remains fairly consistent with minimal alteration over centuries. There are no significant family estates or place names directly associated with the name, but its holders have left a lasting mark on historical records through their various contributions to military, literary, and colonial history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whiteshield
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiteshield, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 75.7%. The next largest groups are White (9.9%) and Hispanic (9.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Whiteshield 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 Whiteshield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native75.7% · 84
- White9.9% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino9.0% · 10
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whiteshield
Whiteshield 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+19 bearers (+18.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,562 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-12 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.3%) | Up 9,562 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 12,216 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 Whiteshield 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 | #136,449 | #148,665 | -9.0% |
| Count | 123 | 111 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whiteshield bearers went from 123 to 111 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 12,216 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #148,665.
FAQ
Whiteshield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whiteshield?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Whiteshield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Whiteshield?
Whiteshield ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Whiteshield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Whiteshield.
Has Whiteshield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whiteshield went from 123 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Whiteshield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiteshield, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 75.7%. The next largest groups are White (9.9%) and Hispanic (9.0%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Whiteshield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whiteshield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (75.7%), White (9.9%), Hispanic (9.0%). 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 Whiteshield (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 Whiteshield mean?
An English surname referring to someone who carried a white shield. 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 Whiteshield (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Whiteshield?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.