2000
#9,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,318
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Shear
An occupational surname referring to someone who shears sheep or cuts cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,457 Americans carry the last name Shear. That puts it at #10,179 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shear 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 Shear with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 99,148
Census rank
#10,179
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,015 bearers of the surname Shear in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10179th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shear, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shear
The surname Shear is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "scear," which means "to cut" or "to shear." It is believed to have originated in England during the early medieval period, around the 7th or 8th century AD.
One of the earliest known records of the surname Shear can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as Sceara, Sceare, and Schere.
In the 13th century, the surname Shear began to appear more frequently in historical records, particularly in areas of England known for their wool and textile industries. This suggests that the name may have been associated with occupations related to sheep shearing or cloth production.
One notable individual with the surname Shear was Sir John Shear, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived during the 14th century. He is mentioned in various historical documents and was involved in several military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War.
Another notable figure was Richard Shear, a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and donated funds for the construction of several churches and charitable institutions.
In the 16th century, the surname Shear can be found in various records from the county of Somerset, particularly in the areas around the town of Shepton Mallet, which may have been derived from the Old English words "scep" (sheep) and "tun" (town), suggesting a connection to the wool trade.
During the 17th century, the surname Shear was also present in parts of Scotland, where it is believed to have been introduced by English settlers. One notable Scottish figure with this surname was Robert Shear, a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Glasgow during the late 1600s.
Throughout its history, the surname Shear has been associated with various occupations and trades, particularly those related to the wool and textile industries, but also in agriculture, military service, and commerce. While the exact origins of the name may be obscured by time, its connection to the act of shearing or cutting is evident, and it has left a lasting mark on the history and culture of England and Scotland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shear
Among Census respondents with the surname Shear, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Shear 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 Shear surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 2,735
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 99
- Two or more races3.3% · 99
- Black or African American1.6% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shear
Shear 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
#9,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,356
+38 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 610 places
2020
#10,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,015
-341 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 510 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,059 | 3,318 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,669 | 3,356 | 1.14 | +38 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 610 places |
| 2020 | #10,179 | 3,015 | 1.01 | -341 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 510 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 Shear 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 | #9,669 | #10,179 | -5.3% |
| Count | 3,356 | 3,015 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.01 | -11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shear bearers went from 3,356 to 3,015 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 510 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,669 to #10,179.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shear
FAQ
Shear surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shear?
Name Census estimates that about 3,457 living Americans carry the surname Shear. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,148 residents.
How common is Shear?
Shear ranks #10,179 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,015 people with the surname Shear. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,457), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Shear.
Has Shear become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shear went from 3,356 recorded bearers to 3,015. That is a decrease of 341 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,669 to #10,179.
What does the Census say about the background of Shear?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shear, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Shear in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,735 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shear appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Shear (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 Shear mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who shears sheep or cuts cloth. 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 Shear (1.01 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 are called Shear?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Shear at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.