Explore the Family Name Sheard
The meaning of Sheard
English (Yorkshire): from Middle English shard, sherd, shord ‘cleft, gap, notch’ (Old English sceard). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived by a gap (perhaps in a hedge or fence or in a range of hills), or habitational, from a place so named, such as Shard End in Castle Bromwich (Warwickshire), the lost Shert Hall in Disley Stanley (Cheshire), and possibly also Shard near Hambleton (Lancashire).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sheard in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Sheard has experienced a moderate increase within the decade between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked at 14,415 in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had risen to position 14,084, a change of 2.3 percent. The count of individuals with this surname also increased from 1,901 in 2000, to 2,135 in 2010, marking a growth of 12.31 percent. Consequently, the proportion of those bearing the Sheard surname per 100,000 people marginally rose from 0.7 in 2000, to 0.72 in 2010, indicating an increase of 2.86 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,415 | #14,084 | 2.3% |
| Count | 1,901 | 2,135 | 12.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.7 | 0.72 | 2.86% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sheard
When examining the ethnicity of those carrying the Sheard surname, there are notable changes based on the Decennial U.S. Census data from 2000 and 2010. The largest shift is observed in those identifying with two or more races, which saw a significant increase from 1.79 percent in 2000, to 3.84 percent in 2010, reflecting a change of 114.53 percent. Data also shows a decrease in Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities by approximately 47.17% and 21.43% respectively. Individuals identifying as White decreased slightly from 45.61 percent to 43.51 percent. The Hispanic segment saw a rise of 31.90 percent, while Black identifiers remained relatively stable, experiencing a slight decrease of 0.30 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 50.03% | 49.88% | -0.3% |
| White | 45.61% | 43.51% | -4.6% |
| Two or More Races | 1.79% | 3.84% | 114.53% |
| Hispanic | 1.63% | 2.15% | 31.9% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.42% | 0.33% | -21.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.28% | -47.17% |