Explore the Family Name Shellito
The meaning of Shellito
English: perhaps a nickname from an unrecorded Middle English shelli, shilli ‘shelly, scaly’ + to ‘toe’, an expression suggesting a fungal infection of the foot. A document of c.1400 refers to ‘schellis, that cometh of brennyng that is in the skyn’, i.e. ‘shells (scales) that come from a burning in the skin’. The expression forming this name must be the source of the modern shelly toe, a footrot-like disease of sheep, characterized by ‘outer layers of horn separating on the outside of the toe’. Perhaps this sense is old enough, though the term is unrecorded, to be the actual source of the name, being used to describe similar conditions in animals and humans or to make a joking comparison.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shellito in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Shellito has seen a slight decrease over time. In 2000, this surname ranked 41,596 in the United States and maintained a count of 493 individuals. However, by 2010, its rank slipped to 43,151 with a slight increase in the count to 501 individuals. This represents a minor shift of -3.74 in ranking and an increase of 1.62 in the count.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #41,596 | #43,151 | -3.74% |
| Count | 493 | 501 | 1.62% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.18 | 0.17 | -5.56% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shellito
On the subject of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals certain changes over the decade. The majority of those bearing the surname Shellito identified as White, with percentages remaining stable at approximately 95.54% in 2000 and 95.61% in 2010. There was a notable increase in those identifying as Two or More Races, up from 1.01% in 2000 to 1.60% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of those of Asian/Pacific Islander descent remained almost constant, whereas the Hispanic proportion saw a decrease from 1.42% to 1.20%. Data for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities were either suppressed or reported at zero for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.54% | 95.61% | 0.07% |
| Two or More Races | 1.01% | 1.6% | 58.42% |
| Hispanic | 1.42% | 1.2% | -15.49% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.01% | 1% | -0.99% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |