How Common Is the Last Name Shire?
An estimated 1,737 people in the United States share the surname Shire. That's about 1 in 197,325 Americans. This data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau surname frequency tables.
This page covers the Shire surname's frequency in the U.S. population, its rank among all American surnames, and a breakdown of ancestry and ethnicity data from the Census. You can also check how many people share any first + last name combination involving Shire.
Estimated Americans with this Surname
1,737
About 1 in 197,325 people in the U.S.
Census Rank
#18,123
Frequency Rate
0.51
per 100,000 people
Census Count
1,515
2020 Census
Data Source
2020
U.S. Census Bureau
Ancestry and Ethnicity for Shire
The Shire surname is most commonly associated with people who identify as White (51.62%). The next largest groups are Black (41.98%) and Two or More Races (3.56%).
Self-reported race and ethnicity from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau surname tables. Some categories may be suppressed for privacy when sample sizes are small.
Historical Census Data for Shire
Shire appears in 3 published Census surname releases on this site (2000, 2010, 2020). From 2000 to 2020, the raw count became more common and the per-100,000 rate became more common. Its best published rank was #17,239 in 2010.
Between the 2010 and 2020 census releases, the surname Shire became less common in the United States. Both the raw count and the population-adjusted frequency moved down.
The line to watch most closely is per 100,000 people. That adjusts for overall population growth, so it shows whether Shire became a bigger or smaller share of the country, not just whether the raw count went up.
Census Count Over Time
Raw Census count in each published surname release.
1,092 to 1,643
Per 100,000 Over Time
Population-adjusted frequency, which is usually the cleaner trend line.
0.40 to 0.56
Release-by-release summary
Each row is a published Census surname table for Shire. The change column compares each release to the one before it.
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Change vs prior release | Largest recorded group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,098 | 1,092 | 0.40 | Baseline release | White (79.03%) |
| 2010 | #17,239 | 1,643 | 0.56 |
Count 40.29%
Rate 33.33% | White (67.74%) |
| 2020 Latest | #18,123 | 1,515 | 0.51 |
Count -8.11%
Rate -9.96% | White (51.62%) |
If the raw count rose but the per-100,000 number fell, the surname still became less common relative to the size of the U.S. population. That is why the frequency rate usually tells the clearer story.
Recorded ancestry change
These percentages show how the Census profile for this surname shifted across the published surveys on this site.
| Ancestry | 2020 | 2010 | 2000 | Change Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 51.62% | 67.74% | 79.03% | -41.96% |
| Black | 41.98% | 26.17% | 13.83% | 100.88% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.32% | 1.95% | 1.19% | 10.37% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.20% | 0.37% | 0.46% | -79.63% |
| Two or More Races | 3.56% | 1.83% | 4.21% | -16.61% |
| Hispanic | 1.32% | 1.95% | 1.28% | 3.09% |
These percentages come from self-reported Census data. They describe how the recorded makeup of people using the surname Shire changed from 2000 through 2020, not the deeper family origin of every bearer of the name.
First Name + Shire Combinations
How many people share a full name with Shire as the last name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Shire Surname: Questions and Answers
How common is the last name Shire?
Shire is the #18,123 most common surname in the United States, with an estimated 1,737 people sharing this last name. It appears at a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 Americans.
Has the surname Shire become more or less common over time?
In the published Census surname tables on this site, Shire moved from 1,092 people in 2000 to 1,515 in 2020. The more important line is the population-adjusted rate, which changed from 0.40 to 0.51 per 100,000.
Why can the raw count go up while the rate per 100,000 goes down?
Because the total U.S. population can grow faster than the surname itself. A surname can have more people in absolute numbers but still make up a smaller share of the country, which is why the per-100,000 figure often tells the clearer story.
What does the ancestry change table show for Shire?
It compares the published Census demographic mix for Shire across releases on this page. That helps you see whether the recorded share of the surname shifted between groups over time, but it still does not tell the full family history of every person with the name.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 mean?
It means that if you picked 100,000 people in the United States at random, about 0.51 of them would have the surname Shire. This is usually the clearest way to compare surnames because it adjusts for the size of the total population.
What ethnicity is the surname Shire?
The Shire surname is most commonly associated with people who identify as White (51.62%). The next largest groups are Black (41.98%) and Two or More Races (3.56%). This data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau surname tables, which include self-reported race and ethnicity breakdowns.
Does the ancestry table tell the exact family origin of everyone named Shire?
No. It shows how people with the surname Shire identified in the Census. That is useful context, but it does not prove the deeper family history, nationality, or origin story of every person with the name.
How many people named [First Name] Shire are there?
We can estimate any first + last name combination. Popular examples: Michael Shire, James Shire, John Shire. Search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this surname data come from?
Surname frequency data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau decennial surname tables. These list every surname appearing in the Census along with frequency rates and demographic breakdowns. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
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