Explore the Family Name Shadow
The meaning of Shadow
1. Americanized form of French Château ‘castle, fortified building’ (see Chateau). Compare Shatto. 2. Possibly also English. The name Shadue, Schadewe is recorded in England in the 12th and 13th centuries, from Middle English shadwe ‘shadow’, Old English sceadu (see Shade). However, there is no evidence of its continuation into modern times in this form. History: The majority of the American bearers of the surname Shadow are descendants of Jean Nichol(as) Château from France (see Chateau).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shadow in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Shadow has seen a substantial increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 71,610 in terms of popularity, but by 2010, it had moved up to rank 65,964, marking a change of 7.88%. The count of people bearing this surname also grew from 254 in 2000 to 300 in 2010, an increase of approximately 18.11%. The proportion of individuals with the surname Shadow per 100,000 population also saw an upward trend, rising from 0.09 in 2000 to 0.1 in 2010, marking an increase of 11.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #71,610 | #65,964 | 7.88% |
| Count | 254 | 300 | 18.11% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.1 | 11.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shadow
The ethnicity distribution for the surname Shadow, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, also shows some interesting trends. The majority of people with this surname identified as White, although this percentage decreased slightly from 90.55% in 2000 to 87.67% in 2010. There were no individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year. However, there was a notable increase in the percentage of people identifying as Black, which rose from 3.54% in 2000 to 6% in 2010 — a significant change of 69.49%. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic also increased marginally from 3.15% to 3.33%. Additionally, 2010 marked the first year that individuals bearing the surname Shadow identified as two or more races, making up 2.33% of the total.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.55% | 87.67% | -3.18% |
| Black | 3.54% | 6% | 69.49% |
| Hispanic | 3.15% | 3.33% | 5.71% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 2.33% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |