The Shaw surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 160,400 people carried this name — #164 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,840 people counted. That is up 3% from 155,172 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Shaw surname
An English topographic surname for someone who lived by a small wood or copse.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Shaw» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 80 births for the Shaw name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,600 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim, Down, and Dublin.”
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 190 people named Shaw live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in City of Buenos Aires.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
160 people named Shaw live in Switzerland.
They live in 13 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 90 people named Shaw.
Most of them — 75 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 9 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 70 people named Shaw live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Poland’s population register
47 people named Shaw have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 184 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 11 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
220 people named Shaw are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Shaw in American newspapers,
1878–1926.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,530,395 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Shaw,
with a public archive behind them.
-
George Shaw 1751–1813 · naturalist -
Henry Shaw 1800–1889 · businessperson -
Henry Marchmore Shaw 1819–1864 · politician -
Eyre Massey Shaw 1828–1908 · firefighter -
Richard Norman Shaw 1831–1912 · architect
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 172 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Shaw.
- Seyller 524 · U.S. census
- Seymour 25,436 · U.S. census
- Seys 202 · U.S. census
- Sferrazza 421 · U.S. census
- Sforza 884 · U.S. census
- Sgro 1,165 · U.S. census
- Siam 363 · U.S. census
- Siano 1,112 · U.S. census
- Sias 3,112 · U.S. census
- Siau 215 · U.S. census
- Sibel 135 · U.S. census
- Sibert 3,545 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Shaw is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.