NameCensus.

UK surname

Shield

An occupational surname referring to a maker or carrier of shields.

In the 1881 census there were 1,360 people recorded with the Shield surname, ranking it #3,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,532, ranked #4,041, down from #3,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Allendale and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Northumberland and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shield is 1,646 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.6%.

1881 census count

1,360

Ranked #3,012

Modern count

1,532

2016, ranked #4,041

Peak year

1901

1,646 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shield had 1,360 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,532 in 2016, ranked #4,041.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,646 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Shield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shield 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 970 #2,875
1861 historical 1,115 #2,517
1881 historical 1,360 #3,012
1891 historical 1,538 #2,868
1901 historical 1,646 #3,132
1911 historical 1,598 #3,044
1997 modern 1,497 #3,914
1998 modern 1,542 #3,953
1999 modern 1,541 #3,986
2000 modern 1,555 #3,945
2001 modern 1,539 #3,901
2002 modern 1,579 #3,900
2003 modern 1,498 #4,007
2004 modern 1,488 #4,035
2005 modern 1,451 #4,072
2006 modern 1,465 #4,050
2007 modern 1,461 #4,092
2008 modern 1,488 #4,064
2009 modern 1,524 #4,055
2010 modern 1,559 #4,052
2011 modern 1,571 #3,980
2012 modern 1,549 #3,965
2013 modern 1,549 #4,029
2014 modern 1,565 #4,012
2015 modern 1,535 #4,044
2016 modern 1,532 #4,041

Geography

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Where Shields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Allendale, Gateshead, Alston and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Northumberland and Gateshead. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Allendale Northumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Alston Cumberland
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 008 County Durham
2 County Durham 064 County Durham
3 Northumberland 040 Northumberland
4 County Durham 009 County Durham
5 Gateshead 004 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shield

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Shield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Shield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Shield is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Shield 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

Shield 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 Shield 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 Shield, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Shield

The surname SHIELD is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "scield," meaning a protective piece of armor or defense. It is believed to have emerged as a surname during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, when surnames began to become common practice in England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SHIELD name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England compiled during the reign of King Edward I. This document mentions a person named John le Shelde, which is likely an early spelling variation of the SHIELD surname.

Throughout the centuries, the SHIELD surname has been associated with individuals who may have been involved in military or defensive occupations, such as shield makers, soldiers, or those tasked with protecting others. However, it is also possible that the name could have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was particularly skilled or adept at using a shield in battle or other protective situations.

In the 15th century, the SHIELD surname appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from a prominent English family during the Wars of the Roses. One of the letters, dated around 1472, mentions a person named John Shelde, likely a member of the SHIELD family.

Notable individuals with the SHIELD surname throughout history include:

1. William Shield (1748-1829), an English composer and violinist who wrote numerous operas, concertos, and other musical works during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

2. John Shield (c. 1600-1668), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War and later became a member of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate government.

3. Henry Shield (1804-1865), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former King's College Hospital and the Grosvenor Hotel.

4. Richard Shield (1859-1944), a British painter and illustrator known for his landscape paintings and illustrations for books and magazines in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

5. Catherine Shield (1927-2021), an American author and academic who wrote several critically acclaimed novels and taught literature at various universities, including Princeton and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The SHIELD surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Shield Hill in Northumberland and Shield Row in County Durham, both of which may have derived their names from individuals with the SHIELD surname who lived or held land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shield 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. Durham leads with 378 Shields recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.56x.

County Total Index
Durham 378 9.56x
Northumberland 318 16.09x
Lancashire 89 0.56x
Middlesex 81 0.61x
Gloucestershire 69 2.65x
Yorkshire 60 0.46x
Cumberland 49 4.28x
Angus 43 3.49x
Leicestershire 42 2.85x
Surrey 35 0.54x
Warwickshire 26 0.78x
Somerset 15 0.70x
Kent 14 0.31x
Cheshire 12 0.41x
Lanarkshire 12 0.28x
Lincolnshire 12 0.56x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.67x
Hampshire 8 0.29x
Rutland 8 8.20x
Westmorland 7 2.40x
Derbyshire 6 0.29x
Pembrokeshire 6 1.42x
Sussex 6 0.27x
Worcestershire 6 0.35x
Ayrshire 5 0.50x
Midlothian 5 0.28x
Channel Islands 4 1.02x
Devon 4 0.14x
Essex 4 0.15x
Berkshire 3 0.30x
Huntingdonshire 3 1.14x
Oxfordshire 3 0.37x
Staffordshire 3 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.24x
East Lothian 2 1.14x
Perthshire 2 0.34x
Argyllshire 1 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.12x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.28x
Royal Navy 1 0.63x
Suffolk 1 0.06x
West Lothian 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Allendale in Northumberland leads with 91 Shields recorded in 1881 and an index of 496.45x.

Place Total Index
Allendale 91 496.45x
Bishopwearmouth 41 12.08x
Alston 33 156.55x
Whickham 29 79.74x
Tanfield 27 57.45x
Hexham 25 81.73x
Gateshead 24 8.11x
Holwick 23 2149.53x
Iveston 21 115.32x
Leicester St Margaret 18 5.01x
Kyo 17 91.35x
Lambeth 17 1.47x
Jesmond 16 57.53x
Dawdon 15 30.85x
St Vigeans 15 22.58x
Almondsbury 14 140.70x
Liverpool 14 1.46x
Prudhoe 14 101.82x
Wolsingham 14 38.87x
Acomb 13 270.83x
Filton 13 955.88x
Stanhope 13 31.85x
Aston 12 1.30x
Cramlington 12 45.94x
Hetton Le Hole 12 23.96x
Hunstonworth 12 526.32x
North Shields 12 30.42x
Chester Le Street 11 36.24x
Haydon 11 101.76x
Rippingdale 11 438.25x
Sunderland Bridge 11 175.44x
Warden 11 272.28x
West Derby 11 2.38x
Winlaton 11 29.01x
Woodland 11 419.85x
Elswick 10 6.34x
Lunedale 10 571.43x
Bishop Auckland 9 16.97x
Bristol St George 9 7.47x
Chelsea London 9 2.25x
Frisby On The Wreake 9 500.00x
Greencroft Langley 9 514.29x
Hampstead London 9 4.35x
Liff Benvie 9 4.82x
Monkwearmouth 9 23.79x
Brandon Byshottles 8 16.16x
East Denton 8 178.17x
Elvet 8 28.04x
Leeds 8 1.08x
Lyncombe Widcombe 8 14.29x
Poplar London 8 3.19x
Runcorn 8 11.83x
Rutherglen 8 12.69x
Benfieldside 7 26.92x
Birmingham 7 0.63x
Bothal Demesne 7 74.00x
Dundee 7 1.52x
Egremont 7 25.67x
Featherstone 7 443.04x
Hedleyhope 7 102.34x
Manchester 7 0.99x
Parr 7 12.41x
Barnes 6 21.91x
Chiswick 6 8.26x
Halesowen 6 39.40x
Meldon 6 821.92x
Prudhoe Castle 6 156.25x
St George Hanover 6 3.46x
Tytherington 6 297.03x
Uppingham 6 51.59x
Westminster St James 6 4.39x
Battersea 5 1.02x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 0.70x
Halifax 5 2.59x
Kirkdale 5 1.89x
St Marylebone London 5 0.70x
Stranton 5 3.76x
Temple Sowerby 5 261.78x
Windle 5 5.64x
Wymondham 5 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 125
Elizabeth 71
Margaret 45
Jane 42
Ann 36
Sarah 32
Hannah 22
Isabella 19
Annie 18
Eliza 15
Ellen 13
Alice 12
Catherine 10
Eleanor 9
Fanny 8
Emily 7
Ada 5
Charlotte 5
Agnes 4
Emma 4
Frances 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Martha 4
Susanna 4
Beatrice 3
Georgina 3
Gertrude 3
Kate 3
Margret 3
Nancy 3
Rebecca 3
Allis 2
Anne 2
Barbara 2
Caroline 2
Dinah 2
Dorothy 2
Elizth. 2
Emeline 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Henrietta 2
Holmus 2
Isabell 2
Laura 2
Lucy 2
May 2
Phillis 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 95
William 75
Thomas 69
George 55
Robert 34
James 33
Joseph 32
Henry 30
Edward 13
Charles 10
Hugh 9
Alfred 8
Samuel 8
Arthur 6
Harry 6
Michael 6
Peter 6
Edwin 5
Francis 5
Frederick 5
Isaac 5
Jonathan 5
Matthew 5
Frank 4
Ralph 4
Stephen 4
Ernest 3
Johnathan 3
Leonard 3
Simon 3
Walter 3
Walton 3
Adam 2
Albert 2
David 2
Fenwick 2
Geo. 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Patrick 2
Philip 2
Richard 2
Robson 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Cuthbert 1
Daniel 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Friend 1

FAQ

Shield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,360 people were recorded with the Shield surname. That placed it at #3,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,532 in 2016. That gives Shield a modern rank of #4,041.

What does the Shield surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker or carrier of shields.

What does the Shield map show?

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