NameCensus.

UK surname

Shew

An occupational surname referring to someone who sewed clothing or shoes, or a variant of the surname Shaw.

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Shew surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 139, ranked #25,001, down from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Willesden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sutton, Dacorum and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shew is 267 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 110.6%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

139

2016, ranked #25,001

Peak year

1861

267 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shew had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016, ranked #25,001.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 267 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Shew surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shew surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shew 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 267 #9,290
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 196 #15,163
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 161 #17,072
1997 modern 160 #20,259
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 157 #20,884
2002 modern 163 #20,767
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 157 #21,168
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 129 #24,790
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 140 #24,569
2011 modern 134 #25,050
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 141 #24,670
2014 modern 142 #24,734
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 139 #25,001

Geography

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Where Shews are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, Willesden and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sutton, Dacorum, Chichester and Sevenoaks. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sutton 012 Sutton
2 Sutton 005 Sutton
3 Dacorum 017 Dacorum
4 Chichester 013 Chichester
5 Sevenoaks 009 Sevenoaks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shew

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shew

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shew, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Shew surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Shew household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Shew is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shew is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shew falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shew 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 Shew, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Shew

The surname SHEW is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "sciowe," which meant a bush or a thicket. This name was likely adopted as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked in a bushy or wooded area.

Records from the 16th century show the name spelled in various ways, including Shew, Shewe, Shue, and Shoo. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the parish records of Wiltshire, England, where a John Shew was mentioned in 1567.

In the 17th century, the SHEW surname appeared in several historical documents, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662 and the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642. These records provide valuable insights into the geographical distribution of the name during that period, with SHEW families recorded in counties like Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Dorset.

One notable individual with the surname SHEW was William Shew, born in 1639 in Somerset, England. He was a prominent Quaker minister and author, known for his religious writings and his advocacy for religious tolerance.

Another significant figure was Sarah Shew, born in 1788 in Gloucestershire, England. She was a pioneer in the field of education and founded one of the earliest schools for girls in the United States, the Shew Seminary in Shelbyville, Tennessee, in 1818.

In the 19th century, the SHEW surname continued to spread across different regions of England. One example is John Shew, born in 1825 in Wiltshire, who served as a member of parliament for Gloucestershire from 1868 to 1880.

Moving into the 20th century, one notable bearer of the SHEW surname was Sir Walter Shew, born in 1892 in Somerset. He was a prominent British diplomat and served as the Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1945 to 1950.

Another noteworthy individual was Elizabeth Shew, born in 1920 in Dorset, England. She was a renowned artist and sculptor, known for her abstract works and her contributions to the British art scene in the latter half of the 20th century.

While the SHEW surname remains relatively uncommon, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its English origins and the various individuals who have carried this name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shew families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shew 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. Middlesex leads with 15 Shews recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 15 2.33x
Surrey 14 4.46x
Somerset 8 7.72x
Yorkshire 7 1.10x
Kent 5 2.28x
Worcestershire 5 5.95x
Gloucestershire 4 3.17x
Hampshire 4 3.03x
Devon 2 1.49x
Bedfordshire 1 3.00x
Lincolnshire 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 8 Shews recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.46x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 8 19.46x
Chilton Polden 6 7500.00x
Aldershot 4 90.50x
Chaceley 4 6666.67x
Greenwich 4 39.02x
Kensington London 4 11.18x
Paddington London 4 16.91x
Rawmarsh 4 177.78x
Lambeth 3 5.35x
Newington 3 12.62x
St Marylebone London 3 8.73x
St Pancras London 3 5.79x
Cheltenham 2 20.53x
Churchill 2 1176.47x
Sculcoates 2 19.78x
Stoke Damerel 2 21.32x
Westbury On Trym 2 46.73x
Hagley 1 370.37x
Hawnes 1 476.19x
Kimberworth 1 28.25x
Knaith Lea Gate Burton 1 1250.00x
Mile End Old Town 1 9.84x
Ramsgate 1 27.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Kate 3
Alice 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Fannie 2
Louisa 2
Mary 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Hanna 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1
Una 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 5
Charles 4
George 3
James 3
Albert 2
Henry 2
Alfred 1
Dennis 1
E. 1
Fox 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Jeremiah 1
Leo 1
Sidney 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Shew surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shew surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Shew surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016. That gives Shew a modern rank of #25,001.

What does the Shew surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who sewed clothing or shoes, or a variant of the surname Shaw.

What does the Shew map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Shew 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.