Explore the Family Name Shiel

The meaning of Shiel

1. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Siadhail ‘descendant of Siadhal’, an Irish personal name possibly meaning ‘slow-moving, slothful’, and the name of a well known medical family. As is common after l, n in transliteration from Irish, the Anglicized form may be given a final -d, as in Shields. 2. English: variant of Shield 1. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Fergus, Brendan, Conor.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Shiel in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Shiel has seen a decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 32,984 in terms of popularity but fell to the 39,486th spot in 2010, representing a decrease of approximately 19.71%. The count or number of people with this surname also diminished from 655 in 2000 to 557 in 2010, a reduction of nearly 14.96%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals named Shiel per 100k inhabitants dropped by around 20.83% over the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#32,984#39,486-19.71%
Count655557-14.96%
Proportion per 100k0.240.19-20.83%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shiel

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Shiel, as recorded by the Decennial U.S. Census, showed some changes between 2000 and 2010. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, comprising 92.67% in 2000 and 92.28% in 2010. However, there were seen increases within other ethnic identities. Asian/Pacific Islander representation increased from 1.07% to 1.44%, and those identifying as Black rose from 3.36% to 3.59%. There was a significant increase for those identifying as Hispanic, from 1.07% to 1.97%. Individuals identifying with two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native were either not present or data was suppressed for privacy in 2010.

20002010Change
White92.67%92.28%-0.42%
Black3.36%3.59%6.85%
Hispanic1.07%1.97%84.11%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.07%1.44%34.58%
Two or More Races1.83%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%