2000
#8,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,563
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Shackleford
English habitational name derived from places named Shackleford, meaning "ford by a shackle or loop in a river."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,322 Americans carry the last name Shackleford. That puts it at #8,418 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shackleford 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Shackleford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,305
Census rank
#8,418
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,769 bearers of the surname Shackleford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8418th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shackleford, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Black (38.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shackleford
The surname Shackleford is believed to have originated in England, possibly during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name referring to a village or town where the first bearers of the name lived or came from.
One theory suggests that the name Shackleford is derived from the Old English words "sceacol," meaning a shake or rattle, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing. This could potentially indicate that the name originated from a place near a ford where the river made a rattling or shaking sound.
Another possible origin is the combination of the Old English words "sceacga," meaning a thicket or small wood, and "ford," which would suggest the name originated from a place near a ford surrounded by a thicket or small wooded area.
While the exact origin and meaning of the name are not definitively known, it is clear that Shackleford has deep roots in England, potentially dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period or earlier.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Shackleford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
Notable individuals with the surname Shackleford include Sir Walter Shackleford (1535-1608), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Shackleford (1617-1692), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Clare College, Cambridge.
In the 18th century, Samuel Shackleford (1690-1768) was a notable English clergyman and philosopher, known for his work on moral philosophy and natural theology. Later, in the 19th century, John Shackleford (1811-1879) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the St. James's Church in Piccadilly.
Another notable individual was Charles Shackleford (1865-1939), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Shackleford-Upham Company, a successful lumber and sawmill operation in Mississippi.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Shackleford, highlighting its long-standing presence and significance across various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shackleford
Among Census respondents with the surname Shackleford, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Black (38.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shackleford 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 Shackleford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.3% · 1,973
- Black or African American38.7% · 1,459
- Two or more races4.9% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 115
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shackleford
Shackleford 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
#8,746
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,751
+188 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 232 places
2020
#8,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,769
+18 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Up 328 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,514 | 3,563 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,746 | 3,751 | 1.27 | +188 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 232 places |
| 2020 | #8,418 | 3,769 | 1.26 | +18 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 328 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 Shackleford 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 | #8,746 | #8,418 | 3.8% |
| Count | 3,751 | 3,769 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.26 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shackleford bearers went from 3,751 to 3,769 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 328 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,746 to #8,418.
FAQ
Shackleford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shackleford?
Name Census estimates that about 4,322 living Americans carry the surname Shackleford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,305 residents.
How common is Shackleford?
Shackleford ranks #8,418 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 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 3,769 people with the surname Shackleford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,322), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 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 Shackleford.
Has Shackleford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shackleford went from 3,751 recorded bearers to 3,769. That is an increase of 18 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,746 to #8,418.
What does the Census say about the background of Shackleford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shackleford, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Black (38.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Shackleford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.3% (1,973 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shackleford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.3%), Black (38.7%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Shackleford (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 Shackleford mean?
English habitational name derived from places named Shackleford, meaning "ford by a shackle or loop in a river." 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 Shackleford (1.26 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 share the surname Shackleford?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.