Explore the Family Name Shelter
The meaning of Shelter
Americanized form of German Schelter, a nickname from Middle High German scheltære ‘scolder, criticizer’; ‘slanderer’; ‘traveling singer’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shelter in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Shelter" has seen a marked decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 74,957 with a count of 240, equating to approximately 0.09 people per 100,000 carrying the name. However, by 2010, this rank had dropped to 104,602 with only 171 bearers, or roughly 0.06 people per 100,000, a change of -33.33 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #74,957 | #104,602 | -39.55% |
| Count | 240 | 171 | -28.75% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.06 | -33.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shelter
Regarding the ethnicity associated with the surname "Shelter", the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts over the same decade. In 2000, a significant 79.17 percent identified as White, increasing slightly to 83.04 percent in 2010. The proportion identifying as Hispanic also rose from 2.08 percent to 7.02 percent. Conversely, those identifying as Black saw a drop from 16.25 percent to 9.94 percent. No individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year, while those identifying with two or more races dropped from 2.08 percent to zero over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.17% | 83.04% | 4.89% |
| Black | 16.25% | 9.94% | -38.83% |
| Hispanic | 2.08% | 7.02% | 237.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 2.08% | 0% | -100% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |