NameCensus.

UK surname

Shand

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "seang" meaning slender or thin.

In the 1881 census there were 2,062 people recorded with the Shand surname, ranking it #2,135 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,953, ranked #2,282, down from #2,135 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Speymouth and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Clashindarroch, Huntly and Penilee.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shand is 3,045 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.2%.

1881 census count

2,062

Ranked #2,135

Modern count

2,953

2016, ranked #2,282

Peak year

2010

3,045 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shand had 2,062 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,135 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,953 in 2016, ranked #2,282.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,302 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Shand surname distribution map

The map shows where the Shand surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Shand surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shand over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,463 #1,963
1861 historical 1,483 #1,906
1881 historical 2,062 #2,135
1891 historical 2,197 #2,130
1901 historical 2,302 #2,364
1911 historical 500 #7,831
1997 modern 2,695 #2,369
1998 modern 2,832 #2,358
1999 modern 2,863 #2,354
2000 modern 2,846 #2,359
2001 modern 2,778 #2,362
2002 modern 2,832 #2,368
2003 modern 2,765 #2,367
2004 modern 2,831 #2,328
2005 modern 2,846 #2,283
2006 modern 2,870 #2,262
2007 modern 2,908 #2,249
2008 modern 2,955 #2,227
2009 modern 2,985 #2,259
2010 modern 3,045 #2,271
2011 modern 2,948 #2,313
2012 modern 2,846 #2,344
2013 modern 2,902 #2,342
2014 modern 2,937 #2,327
2015 modern 2,918 #2,314
2016 modern 2,953 #2,282

Geography

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Where Shands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Speymouth, Edinburgh, Huntly and Mortlach. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Clashindarroch, Huntly, Penilee, Rural Keith and Strathisla and Dyce. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Speymouth Elgin
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Huntly Aberdeen
5 Mortlach Banff

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Clashindarroch Aberdeenshire
2 Huntly Aberdeenshire
3 Penilee Glasgow City
4 Rural Keith and Strathisla Moray
5 Dyce Aberdeen City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shand

These lists show first names that appear often with the Shand surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shand

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shand, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Shand surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Shand household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shand is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shand is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shand falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shand is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Shand, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Shand

The surname Shand is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "sean" meaning old or ancient. It is believed to have originated in the 13th or 14th century in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the areas around Inverness and Nairn.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shand can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the year 1455, where a certain John Shand is mentioned. The name is also found in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, a historical record of royal charters and other official documents, dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

In the 16th century, the name Shand appeared in the Scottish Burgh Records, which documented the proceedings of various Scottish burghs or towns. One such record from the year 1579 mentions a William Shand, a burgess (a citizen with certain rights and privileges) of the town of Elgin.

The Shand surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Shandwick in Ross and Cromarty, and Shandford in Aberdeenshire. These place names likely originated from the surname itself or vice versa, reflecting the historical presence of the Shand family in these areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Shand include:

1. Alexander Shand (1828-1904), a Scottish businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Banffshire from 1885 to 1892.

2. Robert Shand (1789-1867), a Scottish civil engineer and surveyor who worked on various road and bridge projects in Scotland and England.

3. Mary Shand (1856-1948), a Scottish writer and educator who published several works on Scottish history and culture.

4. Philip Shand (1888-1960), an Australian journalist and writer known for his travel writings and biographies.

5. William Shand (1793-1875), a Scottish minister and writer who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1848.

The Shand surname has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands, with records dating back to the 15th century and beyond. Its association with place names and the presence of notable individuals bearing this surname highlight its enduring legacy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shand families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shand surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Aberdeenshire leads with 663 Shands recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.68x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 663 35.68x
Banffshire 192 46.13x
Morayshire 179 57.41x
Midlothian 141 5.25x
Angus 120 6.46x
Fife 100 8.42x
Lanarkshire 91 1.40x
Middlesex 91 0.45x
Surrey 75 0.77x
Kent 43 0.63x
Lancashire 41 0.17x
Renfrewshire 30 1.93x
Kincardineshire 25 10.23x
Northumberland 24 0.80x
Stirlingshire 23 3.11x
Yorkshire 22 0.11x
Inverness-shire 18 3.00x
Perthshire 17 1.89x
Sussex 13 0.38x
Buteshire 11 9.05x
Ayrshire 10 0.67x
Durham 10 0.17x
Gloucestershire 10 0.25x
Kinross-shire 9 17.74x
Westmorland 9 2.04x
Cheshire 8 0.18x
Derbyshire 7 0.22x
Dunbartonshire 7 1.30x
East Lothian 7 2.63x
Glamorgan 7 0.20x
Staffordshire 6 0.09x
Argyllshire 5 0.90x
Essex 5 0.13x
Norfolk 5 0.16x
Clackmannanshire 4 2.41x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 1.03x
Ross-shire 3 0.54x
West Lothian 3 0.99x
Caithness 2 0.73x
Hertfordshire 2 0.14x
Peeblesshire 2 2.12x
Shetland 2 0.98x
Warwickshire 2 0.04x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Hampshire 1 0.02x
Herefordshire 1 0.12x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Nairnshire 1 1.63x
Royal Navy 1 0.42x
Somerset 1 0.03x
Suffolk 1 0.04x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x
Worcestershire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 124 Shands recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.96x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 124 31.96x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 88 25.31x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 64 5.92x
Urquhart 42 285.13x
Drainie 39 141.20x
Govan 38 2.37x
Huntly 38 125.66x
Mortlach 33 162.40x
Montrose 31 27.52x
Forgue 30 179.75x
Barony 29 1.77x
Peterhead 28 28.49x
Auchterderran 27 90.42x
Pitsligo 26 146.40x
St Vigeans 26 25.91x
Grange 25 205.25x
Gamrie 24 51.65x
Marnoch 24 107.38x
Old Deer 24 68.14x
Auchterless 23 155.93x
New Deer 23 68.37x
Keith 22 49.58x
Beath 21 55.94x
Belhelvie 20 157.36x
Bermondsey 20 3.35x
Aberlour 18 136.36x
Cabrach 18 383.80x
Elgin 18 29.68x
Speymouth 18 399.11x
West Derby 18 2.58x
Liff Benvie 17 6.02x
Edinburgh St Stephens 16 30.23x
Camberwell 14 1.09x
Methlick 14 94.09x
Rathven 14 17.91x
Strichen 14 86.69x
Inveravon 13 73.28x
West Greenock 13 4.66x
Abbotshall 12 27.04x
Edinburgh St Georges 12 21.51x
Lambeth 12 0.69x
Newhills 12 31.54x
Rhynie 12 155.04x
Banchory Ternan 11 52.06x
Rothesay 11 18.68x
Bellie 10 70.97x
Bourtie 10 313.48x
Dundee 10 1.44x
Edinburgh New 10 47.89x
Ellon 10 39.12x
Fyvie 10 32.98x
Inveresk 10 13.74x
Islington London 10 0.51x
King Edward 10 46.69x
Meldrum 10 63.90x
Oyne 10 151.29x
Rothes 10 65.75x
Turriff 10 33.33x
Campsie 9 22.16x
Drumblade 9 136.99x
Dysart 9 11.25x
Knockando 9 71.03x
Peterculter 9 68.65x
Shoreditch London 9 1.03x
Biggar 8 54.53x
Dunfermline 8 4.38x
Duthil 8 69.93x
Gartly 8 130.72x
Inverness 8 5.31x
Kensington London 8 0.72x
Kinghorn 8 31.73x
Lowther 8 247.68x
Monifieth 8 12.18x
St Marylebone London 8 0.75x
St Pancras London 8 0.50x
Tynemouth 8 5.00x
Clerkenwell London 7 1.48x
Perth Middle Church 7 20.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 1.73x
Wessington 7 166.27x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Shand surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 21
Sarah 14
Elizabeth 11
Margaret 10
Jane 9
Alice 7
Eliza 5
Ellen 5
Emma 5
Harriett 5
Isabella 5
Jessie 5
Catherine 4
Edith 4
Hellen 4
Kate 4
Anne 3
Charlotte 3
Florence 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Beatrice 2
E. 2
Elizth. 2
Georgina 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Angelina 1
Betsy 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Cornelia 1
Eleanor 1
Elen 1
Eliz. 1
Elizh. 1
Ellsibe 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Hannah 1
Henrietta 1
Ida 1
J. 1
Violet 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Shand surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 27
William 23
John 22
George 14
Alexander 9
Robert 8
Thomas 7
Henry 6
Alfred 4
Charles 4
Edward 3
Albert 2
Andrew 2
David 2
Francis 2
H. 2
Jas. 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Augustus 1
Dick 1
Donald 1
Duncan 1
Edgar 1
Even 1
F. 1
Fargus 1
Frederick 1
Hans 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Helen 1
Hinton 1
Horace 1
Hubert 1
Hy. 1
J. 1
Joseph 1
Lionel 1
Malcolm 1
Nathan 1
Percy 1
Richd. 1
S. 1
Stanley 1
Stuart 1
Syney 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Shand surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shand surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,062 people were recorded with the Shand surname. That placed it at #2,135 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shand surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,953 in 2016. That gives Shand a modern rank of #2,282.

What does the Shand surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "seang" meaning slender or thin.

What does the Shand map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Shand bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.