2000
#9,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,068
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Shavers
An occupational surname referring to one who shaves or a barber.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,942 Americans carry the last name Shavers. That puts it at #9,130 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shavers 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
3.9K
1 in 86,949
Census rank
#9,130
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,438 bearers of the surname Shavers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9130th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shavers, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.4%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shavers
The surname "SHAVERS" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "scæfere," which means "one who shaves or shears." This suggests that the name was initially given as an occupational surname to individuals who worked as barbers or sheep shearers.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often based on a person's occupation, physical characteristics, or place of origin. The name "SHAVERS" likely emerged as a way to distinguish individuals who performed the task of shaving or shearing from others in their community.
While there are no definitive records of the earliest use of the surname "SHAVERS," it is believed to have been present in various parts of England by the 13th or 14th century. Some historical references to individuals with this surname can be found in parish records and medieval documents.
One notable figure with the surname "SHAVERS" was John Shavers, a merchant who lived in London during the late 16th century. He was involved in the wool trade and is mentioned in several business records from that time period.
Another individual named William Shavers was a landowner in Oxfordshire, England, in the early 17th century. He is referenced in property records and legal documents from the 1620s.
In the 18th century, a man named Thomas Shavers served as a lieutenant in the British Royal Navy. He participated in several naval battles during the Seven Years' War and is mentioned in naval records from that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "SHAVERS" in America can be traced back to James Shavers, who immigrated to Virginia from England in the late 17th century. He settled in the Tidewater region and is listed in colonial records from the 1690s.
Another notable figure with this surname was Richard Shavers, a British soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He served in the Loyalist militia and is mentioned in historical accounts of the conflict.
While the surname "SHAVERS" is not extremely common, it has been carried by individuals throughout history in various parts of the English-speaking world. Its origins can be traced back to the occupational traditions of medieval England, reflecting the diverse and rich history of English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shavers
Among Census respondents with the surname Shavers, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.4%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Shavers 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 Shavers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American68.4% · 2,353
- White21.4% · 736
- Two or more races5.6% · 194
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shavers
Shavers 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
#9,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,609
+541 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 662 places
2020
#9,130
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,438
-171 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,716 | 3,068 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,054 | 3,609 | 1.22 | +541 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 662 places |
| 2020 | #9,130 | 3,438 | 1.15 | -171 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 76 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 Shavers 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 | #9,054 | #9,130 | -0.8% |
| Count | 3,609 | 3,438 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.15 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shavers bearers went from 3,609 to 3,438 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,054 to #9,130.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shavers
FAQ
Shavers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shavers?
Name Census estimates that about 3,942 living Americans carry the surname Shavers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,949 residents.
How common is Shavers?
Shavers ranks #9,130 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 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 3,438 people with the surname Shavers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,942), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 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 Shavers.
Has Shavers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shavers went from 3,609 recorded bearers to 3,438. That is a decrease of 171 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,054 to #9,130.
What does the Census say about the background of Shavers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shavers, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.4%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shavers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.4% (2,353 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shavers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (68.4%), White (21.4%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Shavers (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 Shavers mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who shaves or a barber. 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 Shavers (1.15 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 Shavers?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.