2000
#7,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,353
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.61
Rare Last name
Shuster
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Polish word for "shoemaker" or "cobbler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,651 Americans carry the last name Shuster. That puts it at #7,844 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shuster 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
4.7K
1 in 73,695
Census rank
#7,844
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,056 bearers of the surname Shuster in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7844th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shuster, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shuster
The surname SHUSTER has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic word "schuster," which translates to "shoemaker" or "cobbler." This occupational surname was initially given to individuals who worked as shoemakers or cobblers, reflecting their trade and profession.
The earliest recorded instances of the SHUSTER surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. In some historical records, the name appeared with slight variations in spelling, such as Schuster, Shuster, or Schühster.
One notable early reference to the name SHUSTER can be found in the Reichstag records of Nuremberg, dated around 1400, where a certain Hans Shuster was mentioned as a prominent shoemaker in the city. This document provides valuable insight into the occupation and social standing of individuals bearing this surname during that era.
In the 16th century, the SHUSTER name gained further prominence when Johannes Shuster (1505-1572), a German theologian and reformer, played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Born in Nuremberg, he collaborated closely with Martin Luther and contributed to the translation of the Bible into German.
Another notable figure with the SHUSTER surname was Johann Christoph Shuster (1672-1728), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) at the court of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His compositions, particularly his sacred works, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the SHUSTER name was carried by Friedrich Wilhelm Shuster (1815-1889), a German historian and professor at the University of Halle. He made significant contributions to the study of ancient history, publishing works on Roman and Greek civilizations.
As the SHUSTER surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to other regions, including the United Kingdom and the United States. One prominent individual with this name was George Shuster (1894-1977), an American author, educator, and president of Hunter College in New York City. He was also a prominent figure in the Catholic intellectual community and served as a consultant to the Vatican.
Throughout its history, the SHUSTER surname has been associated with various occupations, from shoemakers and cobblers to theologians, musicians, historians, and educators. Its origins as an occupational surname reflect the importance of trades and crafts in medieval German society, while its subsequent spread and adaptation by individuals from diverse backgrounds showcase its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shuster
Among Census respondents with the surname Shuster, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shuster 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 Shuster surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 3,773
- Two or more races2.9% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shuster
Shuster 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
#7,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,428
+75 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 430 places
2020
#7,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,056
-372 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 329 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,085 | 4,353 | 1.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,515 | 4,428 | 1.50 | +75 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 430 places |
| 2020 | #7,844 | 4,056 | 1.36 | -372 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 329 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 Shuster 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 | #7,515 | #7,844 | -4.4% |
| Count | 4,428 | 4,056 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.36 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shuster bearers went from 4,428 to 4,056 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 329 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,515 to #7,844.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shuster
FAQ
Shuster surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shuster?
Name Census estimates that about 4,651 living Americans carry the surname Shuster. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,695 residents.
How common is Shuster?
Shuster ranks #7,844 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,056 people with the surname Shuster. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,651), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Shuster.
Has Shuster become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shuster went from 4,428 recorded bearers to 4,056. That is a decrease of 372 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,515 to #7,844.
What does the Census say about the background of Shuster?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shuster, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Shuster in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (3,773 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shuster 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 (2.9%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Shuster (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 Shuster mean?
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Polish word for "shoemaker" or "cobbler." 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 Shuster (1.36 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 have the surname Shuster?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.