NameCensus.

UK surname

Shields

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of shields or a person who lived near a shelter or refuge.

In the 1881 census there were 4,631 people recorded with the Shields surname, ranking it #964 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,813, ranked #652, up from #964 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Inverness Merkinch, Barrow-in-Furness and Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shields is 9,963 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 111.9%.

1881 census count

4,631

Ranked #964

Modern count

9,813

2016, ranked #652

Peak year

2010

9,963 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shields had 4,631 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #964 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,813 in 2016, ranked #652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,319 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Shields surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shields surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shields 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 2,381 #1,253
1861 historical 2,817 #1,037
1881 historical 4,631 #964
1891 historical 5,229 #898
1901 historical 6,319 #877
1911 historical 4,136 #1,247
1997 modern 8,989 #703
1998 modern 9,366 #700
1999 modern 9,520 #692
2000 modern 9,525 #688
2001 modern 9,351 #685
2002 modern 9,554 #687
2003 modern 9,342 #686
2004 modern 9,329 #683
2005 modern 9,230 #681
2006 modern 9,263 #673
2007 modern 9,356 #672
2008 modern 9,465 #669
2009 modern 9,711 #666
2010 modern 9,963 #662
2011 modern 9,780 #664
2012 modern 9,609 #663
2013 modern 9,826 #661
2014 modern 9,928 #659
2015 modern 9,824 #657
2016 modern 9,813 #652

Geography

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Where Shields' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Gateshead, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Inverness Merkinch, Barrow-in-Furness, Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall, Greenock Upper Central and Chapelhall East. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Inverness Merkinch Highland
2 Barrow-in-Furness 006 Barrow-in-Furness
3 Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall East Renfrewshire
4 Greenock Upper Central Inverclyde
5 Chapelhall East North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shields

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shields

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Shields surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Shields household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shields 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

Shields 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

Shields falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Shields

The surname Shields is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "scield," meaning "shield" or "shelter." It first appeared in England during the medieval period, primarily in the northern counties.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shields can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Scild" and "Scheld." These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

The name Shields was initially used as a descriptive surname, likely referring to someone who made or carried shields, or perhaps someone who provided shelter or protection. It may have also been used to denote someone who lived near a prominent or distinctive shield-shaped landmark.

In the 13th century, records show a Willelmus Sheld in the Curia Regis Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1221. John de Scheles was mentioned in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as John del Sheles in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, and William atte Schelde in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

Notable historical figures with the surname Shields include:

1. Thomas Shields (c. 1615-1690), an English Puritan clergyman and writer. 2. James Shields (1806-1879), an Irish-American politician and military officer who served as a United States Senator and a Union general during the American Civil War. 3. Mary Shields (1840-1912), an American educator and advocate for women's rights and education. 4. William Shields (1867-1951), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Amarillo, Texas. 5. Samuel Shields (1922-2009), an American actor best known for his role as Mr. Smoot in the television series Dennis the Menace.

Over time, the surname Shields has spread throughout the English-speaking world, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Australia, carried by generations of immigrants from the British Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shields families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shields 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. Lanarkshire leads with 858 Shields' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.88x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 858 5.88x
Lancashire 635 1.19x
Yorkshire 566 1.26x
Durham 521 3.88x
Ayrshire 242 7.16x
Middlesex 235 0.52x
Renfrewshire 159 4.54x
Northumberland 158 2.35x
Cumberland 140 3.60x
Surrey 118 0.54x
Midlothian 86 1.42x
Stirlingshire 80 4.80x
West Lothian 80 11.76x
Kent 63 0.41x
Dunbartonshire 62 5.11x
Lincolnshire 62 0.86x
Fife 48 1.80x
Angus 44 1.05x
Hampshire 42 0.45x
Cheshire 38 0.38x
Warwickshire 33 0.29x
Norfolk 30 0.43x
Buteshire 25 9.14x
Derbyshire 25 0.35x
Glamorgan 23 0.29x
Staffordshire 23 0.15x
Essex 19 0.21x
Monmouthshire 17 0.52x
Dumfriesshire 15 1.50x
Worcestershire 15 0.25x
Argyllshire 13 1.03x
Sussex 13 0.17x
Westmorland 12 1.21x
East Lothian 11 1.84x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 1.68x
Denbighshire 9 0.53x
Leicestershire 9 0.18x
Perthshire 8 0.39x
Ross-shire 8 0.65x
Royal Navy 8 1.49x
Wigtownshire 7 1.17x
Oxfordshire 6 0.22x
Somerset 5 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.14x
Gloucestershire 4 0.05x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.07x
Selkirkshire 4 0.98x
Devon 3 0.03x
Inverness-shire 3 0.22x
Kincardineshire 3 0.55x
Roxburghshire 3 0.37x
Berkshire 2 0.06x
Caithness 2 0.32x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.11x
Northamptonshire 2 0.05x
Peeblesshire 2 0.94x
Bedfordshire 1 0.04x
Berwickshire 1 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.27x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Flintshire 1 0.08x
Herefordshire 1 0.05x
Wiltshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 202 Shields' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.79x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 202 7.79x
Govan 201 5.57x
Barony 167 4.52x
Liverpool 107 3.29x
New Monkland 54 12.51x
Linthorpe 45 16.85x
Bathgate 42 28.45x
Darlington 42 8.10x
Camberwell 41 1.42x
Toxteth Park 41 2.26x
Holy Trinity 40 3.72x
Manchester 40 1.66x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 39 6.70x
Leeds 37 1.46x
Rutherglen 36 16.80x
Kirkdale 35 3.88x
Stewarton 34 50.84x
Westoe 33 4.33x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 32 1.31x
Whitehaven 32 15.44x
Barrow In Furness 28 3.84x
Falsgrave 27 40.95x
Kilmarnock 27 6.71x
West Greenock 27 4.30x
Dundee 25 1.60x
Stranton 25 5.53x
West Derby 25 1.59x
Sculcoates 24 3.38x
Kirkintilloch 23 13.95x
Lambeth 23 0.58x
Little Bolton 23 3.34x
Wallsend 23 10.79x
Dysart 22 12.22x
Elswick 22 4.10x
Longbenton 22 7.73x
Middlesbrough 22 3.78x
Scarborough 22 5.41x
Bradford 21 1.94x
Everton 21 1.23x
Hackney London 21 0.83x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 21 5.23x
Paisley High Church 21 7.54x
Kilsyth 20 18.83x
Blackburn 19 1.33x
Shotts 19 10.87x
Avondale 18 21.08x
Hetton Le Hole 18 10.57x
Linlithgow 18 20.64x
Slamannan 18 19.74x
South Leith 18 2.64x
Ayr 17 10.66x
Bishopwearmouth 17 1.47x
Dalziel 17 10.82x
Gateshead 17 1.69x
Maryhill 17 5.95x
West Ham 17 0.86x
Birmingham 16 0.42x
Caldewgate 16 7.51x
Loudoun 16 19.69x
Old Monkland 16 2.76x
Westhoughton 16 11.19x
Eastwood 15 6.96x
Great Bolton 15 2.11x
Great Lumley 15 65.22x
Paisley Middle Church 15 7.36x
Salford 15 0.95x
Southwark St George Martyr 15 1.65x
Stockton On Tees 15 2.32x
West Calder 15 12.58x
Bermondsey 14 1.04x
Carluke 14 10.56x
Chester Le Street 14 13.57x
Greenwich 14 1.95x
Heigham 14 3.76x
Irvine 14 14.91x
Merrington 14 54.14x
Shettleston 14 10.71x
Shoreditch London 14 0.72x
St Marylebone London 14 0.58x
Walton On Hill 14 4.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 256
Elizabeth 106
Margaret 83
Sarah 83
Jane 62
Ann 58
Alice 45
Annie 38
Ellen 33
Catherine 32
Hannah 32
Eliza 30
Emma 30
Isabella 23
Martha 23
Maria 19
Emily 16
Kate 15
Bridget 13
Frances 12
Harriet 10
Louisa 10
Ada 9
Anne 9
Florence 9
Lucy 9
Rose 9
Charlotte 8
Elizth. 8
Jessie 8
Clara 7
Dorothy 7
Eleanor 7
Fanny 7
Susannah 7
Amelia 6
Edith 6
Julia 6
Matilda 5
Rachel 5
Eliz. 4
Gertrude 4
Harriett 4
Maggie 4
Marie 4
Rebecca 4
Susan 4
Caroline 3
Catharine 3
Margret 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 233
William 165
James 137
Thomas 137
Robert 78
George 65
Joseph 44
Charles 41
Henry 38
Richard 33
Edward 31
Frederick 21
Daniel 20
Michael 19
Patrick 18
Francis 16
Arthur 15
Hugh 15
Samuel 14
Alfred 13
Peter 12
Albert 11
David 11
Walter 11
Wm. 11
Martin 8
Matthew 7
Ernest 6
Herbert 6
Isaac 6
Jas. 6
Benjamin 5
Christopher 5
Frank 5
Fred 5
Thos. 5
Alexander 4
Andrew 4
Anthony 4
Bernard 4
Edmund 4
Harry 4
Jonathan 4
Leonard 4
Mark 4
Philip 4
Ralph 4
Tom 4
Miles 3
Stephen 3

FAQ

Shields surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shields surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,631 people were recorded with the Shields surname. That placed it at #964 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shields surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,813 in 2016. That gives Shields a modern rank of #652.

What does the Shields surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of shields or a person who lived near a shelter or refuge.

What does the Shields map show?

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