2000
#3,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,427
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.12
Rare Last name
Showalter
An occupational surname for someone who made or sold shoes, derived from the German word "Schuhmacher" meaning shoemaker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,865 Americans carry the last name Showalter. That puts it at #4,007 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Showalter 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
9.9K
1 in 34,744
Census rank
#4,007
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,603 bearers of the surname Showalter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4007th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Showalter, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Showalter
The surname Showalter is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the early medieval period in the region of Bavaria, Germany. The name is believed to derive from the Old German words "schouwe" and "walter," which together translate to "forest watcher" or "forest guardian." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been employed as foresters or held positions related to the protection and management of forests.
The earliest recorded instances of the Showalter name can be found in historical documents dating back to the 13th century, where it appears in various spellings such as "Schouwolter," "Schouwalter," and "Schauwalter." These variations reflect the evolution of the German language over time and the regional dialects in which the name was pronounced and recorded.
In the 15th century, the Showalter name gained prominence when Johannes Showalter (1412-1478) served as a skilled cartographer and mapmaker for the Holy Roman Empire. His detailed maps and charts of various regions were highly regarded and played a crucial role in the expansion of trade routes and exploration during that era.
Another notable figure bearing the Showalter name was Hans Showalter (1520-1592), a renowned botanist and herbalist from the German city of Nuremberg. His extensive work in documenting and studying medicinal plants and their applications in traditional medicine earned him widespread recognition among his contemporaries.
During the 17th century, the Showalter family established a strong presence in the Black Forest region of Germany, where they were involved in the logging and timber industries. One prominent member of this lineage was Wilhelm Showalter (1648-1712), who gained recognition for his innovative techniques in sustainable forestry practices and was instrumental in preserving the region's natural resources.
In the late 18th century, several Showalter families emigrated from Germany to the United States, seeking new opportunities and religious freedom. Among the earliest documented arrivals was Johann Showalter (1745-1818), who settled in Pennsylvania and established a successful farming community that became known as Showalter's Mill.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Showalter name continued to spread across various regions of the United States, with individuals making notable contributions in fields such as education, politics, and business. One influential figure was Mary Showalter (1865-1947), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools and played a significant role in advancing educational opportunities for women in the Midwest.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Showalter
Among Census respondents with the surname Showalter, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Showalter 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 Showalter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 8,004
- Two or more races2.6% · 226
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 223
- Black or African American0.8% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Showalter
Showalter 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
#4,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,786
+359 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.98
Rank movement Down 175 places
2020
#4,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,603
-183 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 2.88
Rank movement Up 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,869 | 8,427 | 3.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,044 | 8,786 | 2.98 | +359 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 175 places |
| 2020 | #4,007 | 8,603 | 2.88 | -183 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 37 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 Showalter 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 | #4,044 | #4,007 | 0.9% |
| Count | 8,786 | 8,603 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.98 | 2.88 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Showalter bearers went from 8,786 to 8,603 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,044 to #4,007.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Showalter
FAQ
Showalter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Showalter?
Name Census estimates that about 9,865 living Americans carry the surname Showalter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,744 residents.
How common is Showalter?
Showalter ranks #4,007 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,603 people with the surname Showalter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,865), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Showalter.
Has Showalter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Showalter went from 8,786 recorded bearers to 8,603. That is a decrease of 183 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,044 to #4,007.
What does the Census say about the background of Showalter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Showalter, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Showalter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (8,004 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Showalter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Showalter (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 Showalter mean?
An occupational surname for someone who made or sold shoes, derived from the German word "Schuhmacher" meaning shoemaker. 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 Showalter (2.88 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 common is the surname Showalter?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Showalter? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.