Explore the Family Name Shell
The meaning of Shell
1. English and Irish: variant of Shield. 2. English: from Middle English s(c)hele ‘hut’ (Old English scela), a term confined to northern England and southern Scotland. The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived in or near a hut, or habitational, from a place so named. The element is found in several minor placenames in the forms Shiel and Shield in northern and midland England and southern Scotland. See Shield. 3. English: habitational name from Shell in Himbleton (Worcestershire), from Old English scelf ‘rock, ledge, shelf’. 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Schelle ‘bell’. 5. Americanized form of German Schell.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shell in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Shell" saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, this surname ranked 2523 in terms of popularity but dropped to a rank of 2696 in 2010, representing a change of -6.86%. However, the number of individuals bearing this surname increased slightly from 13,143 in 2000 to 13,369 in 2010, demonstrating a change of 1.72%. When considering the proportion per 100,000 people, the surname also experienced a small decline from 4.87 in 2000 to 4.53 in 2010, a decrease of -6.98%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,523 | #2,696 | -6.86% |
| Count | 13,143 | 13,369 | 1.72% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.87 | 4.53 | -6.98% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shell
As for ethnicity distribution among those with the surname "Shell", the Decennial U.S. Census data shows shifts over the 10-year period from 2000 to 2010. There were increases noted in the Asian/Pacific Islander category (from 0.44% to 0.78%), Two or More Races category (from 1.37% to 2.15%), Hispanic group (from 1.29% to 2.20%), and Black ethnicity (from 18.17% to 18.48%). On the other hand, a slight decrease was observed in the White ethnicity group, which fell from 77.39% to 75.17%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category, which went from 1.34% to 1.22%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.39% | 75.17% | -2.87% |
| Black | 18.17% | 18.48% | 1.71% |
| Hispanic | 1.29% | 2.2% | 70.54% |
| Two or More Races | 1.37% | 2.15% | 56.93% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.34% | 1.22% | -8.96% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.78% | 77.27% |
Shell ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Shell is British & Irish, which comprises 50.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.2%) and Eastern European (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Nigerian, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.7% |
| French & German | 25.2% |
| Eastern European | 4.7% |
| Other | 19.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Shell
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Shell have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 79.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 79.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 79.90% |
What Shell haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Shell is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-F2642 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dove, Landers, Bradshaw, Schnell, Lawton, Hoskins, Ott, Ackerman, Dennis, Garland.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Shell surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Shell have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Shell" Surname 40.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Shell" Surname 27.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Shell" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Shell" Surname 17.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Shell?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Shell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition