2000
#2,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,857
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.88
Uncommon Last name
Shin
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 신 (shēn), meaning "godly," "spiritual," or "virtuous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,327 Americans carry the last name Shin. That puts it at #1,517 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,019 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shin 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 Shin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,019
Census rank
#1,517
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,958 bearers of the surname Shin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1517th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shin, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shin
The surname SHIN is believed to have originated in Korea, where it has been a common family name for centuries. The name is derived from the Korean word "sin," which means "divine" or "sacred." It is thought to have been given to families associated with religious or spiritual roles in ancient Korean society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SHIN can be found in the Samguk Sagi, a historical text from the 12th century that chronicles the history of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The text mentions several prominent figures with the surname SHIN, including SHIN Sung-gyu, a Buddhist monk and scholar who lived in the 6th century.
During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), the SHIN family was known for producing many talented scholars and officials. One notable figure was SHIN Suk-ju (1407-1459), a renowned Confucian scholar and politician who served as a minister during the reign of King Sejo.
In the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the SHIN family continued to play an important role in Korean society. SHIN Ryu (1491-1554) was a famous Neo-Confucian scholar and philosopher who contributed greatly to the development of Korean Confucian thought.
Another prominent figure was SHIN Hun (1539-1599), a military commander and scholar who played a crucial role in defending Korea against Japanese invasions in the late 16th century. He is celebrated as a national hero in Korean history.
In more recent times, SHIN Tae-yong (born 1970) is a well-known South Korean football coach who led the national team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
While the name SHIN is most commonly associated with Korea, it has also been found in other East Asian countries, such as China and Japan, where it may have been adopted or derived from the Korean name. However, the origins and history of the name in these regions are less well-documented.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shin
Among Census respondents with the surname Shin, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Shin 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 Shin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.0% · 21,576
- White2.5% · 585
- Two or more races2.4% · 545
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 142
- Black or African American0.5% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shin
Shin 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
#1,656
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,735
+5,878 bearers (+37.1%)
Per 100,000 7.37
Rank movement Up 443 places
2020
#1,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,958
+1,223 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 7.68
Rank movement Up 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,099 | 15,857 | 5.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,656 | 21,735 | 7.37 | +5,878 bearers (+37.1%) | Up 443 places |
| 2020 | #1,517 | 22,958 | 7.68 | +1,223 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 139 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 Shin 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 | #1,656 | #1,517 | 8.4% |
| Count | 21,735 | 22,958 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 7.37 | 7.68 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shin bearers went from 21,735 to 22,958 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,656 to #1,517.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shin
FAQ
Shin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shin?
Name Census estimates that about 26,327 living Americans carry the surname Shin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,019 residents.
How common is Shin?
Shin ranks #1,517 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,958 people with the surname Shin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,327), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Shin.
Has Shin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shin went from 21,735 recorded bearers to 22,958. That is an increase of 1,223 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,656 to #1,517.
What does the Census say about the background of Shin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shin, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (21,576 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.0%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Shin (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 Shin mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 신 (shēn), meaning "godly," "spiritual," or "virtuous." 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 Shin (7.68 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 Shin?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.