Shaw is used as a family name or surname in Scotland, Ireland, England. It is 4 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Shaw
No. of characters: 4
Origin: Scotland, Ireland, England
Meaning:

Dweller at the small wood or thicket; descendant of Sithech meaning "wolf"; one who came from Shaw, i.e., small wood, the name of several places in England.

Thicket, grove, wood, in England and the Lowlands; but the Highland family of Shaw are a branch of the M'Intoshes, in whose early history often occurs the forename of Scha, Schea, or Shaw, prbably the same as the Erse Shawn; i.e., John.

Very common per se, and also as a termination. It means a small wood, from Anglo-Saxon scua, a shade, a place shadowed or sheltered by trees.
"In somer when the shawes be sheyne,
And leves be large and long;
It is full mery in feyre foreste,
To here the foulys song."

Several parishes and places bear this appellation, and to it we owe a considerable number of local surnames; e.g., Abershaw, Bagshaw, Cockshaw, Henshaw, Bradshaw, Langshaw, Eldershaw, Renshaw, etc.

How popular is Shaw?

Shaw is common in India, United States, England, Australia, Canada, Scotland, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, South Africa, New Zealand, Wales, Northern Ireland, Egypt, Ireland, China, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, France, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Guyana, Bangladesh, Fiji, Panama, Germany, Syria, Qatar, Ghana, Liberia, Singapore, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Iraq, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Antigua and Barbuda, Isle of Man, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Switzerland, Chile, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Uruguay, Japan, Jersey, Philippines, Guatemala.

Shaw is ranked 679 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Shaw bearers increased by 3.37 per cent in 2010 US census to 160400 since 2000, the surname slipped by 14 spots and ranked at 164. The last name was found in around 5 per ten thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 72.07 74.67
Black 21.19 20.23
Hispanic or Latino 2.36 1.48
Others 2.15 1.65
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 1.48 1.24
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.75 0.73
Shaw is quite popular family name mostly used in India however Isle of Man is ahead in terms of density. Around 808321 person has been found who wears Shaw as their family name. Shaw is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with hundred thousands of Shaw:
192 India409,980
143 United States208,754
Countries with ten thousands of Shaw:
55 England84,746
91 Australia26,811
132 Canada24,239
Countries with thousands of Shaw:
86 Scotland8,133
76 Jamaica6,904
227 Sierra Leone5,838
1,265 South Africa5,313
65 New Zealand4,945
125 Wales2,361
143 Northern Ireland2,283
4,614 Egypt1,983
450 Ireland1,980
321 China1,035
Countries with hundreds of Shaw:
9,871 Thailand944
1,364 United Arab Emirates841
12,551 France757
6,228 Spain667
7,891 Saudi Arabia557
259 Guyana512
9,758 Bangladesh451
307 Fiji440
966 Panama340
26,770 Germany328
2,960 Syria296
876 Qatar293
9,187 Ghana277
1,675 Liberia274
833 Singapore265
1,974 Kuwait260
518 Hong Kong253
3,935 Iraq231
8,751 Malaysia215
10,660 Zimbabwe215
77 Antigua and Barbuda214
33 Isle of Man207
18,801 Argentina186
3,114 Dominican Republic162
45,311 Brazil161
6,727 Switzerland161
4,203 Chile153
3,921 Afghanistan150
1,687 Bahrain147
12,199 Mexico142
18,833 Netherlands141
5,676 Sweden130
13,878 Belgium129
3,085 Uruguay129
20,605 Japan121
100 Jersey112
82,078 Philippines111
3,386 Guatemala108
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
1,123 Costa Rica98
704 Belize97
1,452 Suriname89
348 Malta84
9,424 Norway77
2,168 Trinidad and Tobago76
146 Guernsey73
84,856 Nigeria68
6,835 Portugal66
12,917 Ivory Coast63
69,817 Italy61
146 Cayman Islands58
14,762 Peru58
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
36,930 Greece46
177,080 Russia42
151 Gibraltar41
482 United States Virgin Islands39
1,397 Brunei37
13,908 Denmark35
2,491 Honduras35
321 Bermuda34
39,315 Czechia34
5,096 Taiwan33
14,245 Venezuela33
11,599 Colombia27
39,117 Pakistan26
3,610 Sudan25
873 Barbados22
20,300 Finland21
4,510 Cyprus20
44,644 Austria19
18,229 Botswana17
314,803 Indonesia17
115,816 Iran17
37,471 Kenya17
225 Equatorial Guinea16
792 Myanmar16
40,181 Hungary13
116,258 Poland13
268 Turks and Caicos Islands13
2,098 Guam12
541 Saint Kitts and Nevis11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
903 South Korea10
1,511 Aruba9
14,518 Ethiopia9
57,975 Israel9
14,059 Lebanon9
400 Macau9
2,946 Mozambique9
719 Swaziland9
8,227 Mauritius8
134,647 Turkey8
102,287 Kazakhstan7
2,948 Vietnam7
1,961 American Samoa6
848 Bahamas6
8,069 Cambodia6
118,663 Papua New Guinea6
72,091 Tanzania6
123,710 Uganda6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Workman Patrick Shaw from Ireland aboard the Arabella from Liverpool during the Irish famine. He is registered to be 28 years old when he arrived in New-York on May 14, 1846. Mary Shaw (30), Workman Jerry Shaw, Workwoman Mary Shaw, Ann Shaw, Mary Shaw (20) Workwoman, Workman John Shaw, 18 years old Robert Shaw, 19 years old Charlotte Shaw, and 361 other Shaw around 44.1% of whom were workman while others worked as farmer and weaver, spinster, shoemaker, merchant, servant, mechanic, tailoress, carpenter, wool spinner migrated to US from Cork, Glasgow and Liverpool.

From Germany

12 years old farmer Mary Shaw who was residing in Germany migrated to USA on August 8, 1853 by Saud Appleton put out from London. Elisabeth Shaw (36) Servant, Robert Shaw (22) Laborer, 29 years old Thomasm. Shaw, W.C. Shaw, Gustaf Shaw (27) Laborer, Care. Shaw (34), Maggie Shaw (22) Spinster, Mr.-Arthur Shaw, aged 24, Annie Shaw, aged 25, Jennet Shaw (45), are other Shaw that migrated to US from London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Falmouth & Havre, Hamburg & Havre, Liverpool & Queenstown and Antwerp.

Shaw Namesakes

  • Cliff Shaw, systems programmer at the RAND Corporation
  • Percy Shaw, English inventor and businessman
  • Scott Shaw, American author, actor, composer, martial artist
  • Glen Byam Shaw, English actor and theatre director
  • Ronald Shaw, British pilot
  • Tracy Shaw, British actress and singer
  • Kenneth Shaw, 10th Chancellor and President of Syracuse University
  • Aeneas Shaw, soldier and political figure in Upper Canada
  • Herbert Kenneth Airy Shaw, notable English botanist and classicist
  • Richard G. Shaw,
  • Ivan Shaw, American actor
  • Knowles Shaw, American author and composer of gospel hymns
  • Charles Green Shaw, American painter and writer
  • Roy Shaw, real estate investor
  • Oscar Shaw, 'The Cocoanuts'
  • Malcolm Shaw, British legal academic, author, editor and lawyer
  • Ade Shaw, musician primarily working
  • Gareth Shaw, in Auckland, New Zealand
  • Arnold Shaw, British Labour Party politician
  • Carlos Fernández Shaw, Spanish poet, playwright, and journalist
  • Frank Thomas Shaw, American politician
  • Vernon Shaw, fifth President of Dominica
  • Joseph Carl Shaw, first person to be put to death by the State of South Carolina after the U.S. Supreme Court reauthorized the use of capital punishment by the states
  • Davie Shaw, Scottish professional football player
  • Alexander Preston Shaw, was notable as an African-American pastor, editor
  • Runde Shaw, second-oldest of the Shaw brothers, originally
  • Emmanuel Shaw, former Finance Minister of Liberia
  • William Rawson Shaw, English Liberal politician who represented Halifax
  • John Luis Shaw, Seventh-day Adventist missionary, educator
  • Angus Shaw, fur trader and political figure in Lower Canada
  • Bill Kennedy Shaw, English desert explorer, botanist
  • Tristram Shaw, United States Representative from New Hampshire
  • Lance Shaw, New Zealand cricketer
  • Robert S. Shaw, was president of the Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science
  • Kate Shaw, Dr
  • Darren Shaw, former Scotland international rugby league footballer
  • John G. Shaw, U.S. Representative from North Carolina
  • Lorraine Shaw, English hammer thrower
  • Robert L. Shaw, politician from Alberta, Canada
  • Hugh Murray Shaw, farmer, rancher and Canadian federal politician
  • Luci Shaw, Christian poet
  • Brewster H. Shaw, Brewster Hopkinson Shaw Jr
  • George Shaw, English botanist and zoologist
  • Napier Shaw, British meteorologist
  • Patricia Alice Shaw, Canadian linguist specializing
  • A. G. L. Shaw, Australian historian and author of several text books and historiographies on Australian and Victorian history
  • Stanford J. Shaw, American historian, best
  • George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, critic
  • Bob Shaw, science fiction writer and fan
  • Artie Shaw, American clarinetist, composer, bandleader
  • Run Run Shaw, Hong Kong entertainment mogul and philanthropist
  • Fiona Shaw, Irish actress and theatre and opera director
  • Billy Shaw, American former college and professional football player
  • Robert Gould Shaw, American soldier
  • Clay Shaw, businessman in New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Walter Russell Shaw, politician from Prince Edward Island

Shaw Namesakes

  • Cliff Shaw, systems programmer at the RAND Corporation
  • Percy Shaw, English inventor and businessman
  • Scott Shaw, American author, actor, composer, martial artist
  • Glen Byam Shaw, English actor and theatre director
  • Ronald Shaw, British pilot
  • Tracy Shaw, British actress and singer
  • Kenneth Shaw, 10th Chancellor and President of Syracuse University
  • Aeneas Shaw, soldier and political figure in Upper Canada
  • Herbert Kenneth Airy Shaw, notable English botanist and classicist
  • Richard G. Shaw,
  • Ivan Shaw, American actor
  • Knowles Shaw, American author and composer of gospel hymns
  • Charles Green Shaw, American painter and writer
  • Roy Shaw, real estate investor
  • Oscar Shaw, 'The Cocoanuts'
  • Malcolm Shaw, British legal academic, author, editor and lawyer
  • Ade Shaw, musician primarily working
  • Gareth Shaw, in Auckland, New Zealand
  • Arnold Shaw, British Labour Party politician
  • Carlos Fernández Shaw, Spanish poet, playwright, and journalist
  • Frank Thomas Shaw, American politician
  • Vernon Shaw, fifth President of Dominica
  • Joseph Carl Shaw, first person to be put to death by the State of South Carolina after the U.S. Supreme Court reauthorized the use of capital punishment by the states
  • Davie Shaw, Scottish professional football player
  • Alexander Preston Shaw, was notable as an African-American pastor, editor
  • Runde Shaw, second-oldest of the Shaw brothers, originally
  • Emmanuel Shaw, former Finance Minister of Liberia
  • William Rawson Shaw, English Liberal politician who represented Halifax
  • John Luis Shaw, Seventh-day Adventist missionary, educator
  • Angus Shaw, fur trader and political figure in Lower Canada
  • Bill Kennedy Shaw, English desert explorer, botanist
  • Tristram Shaw, United States Representative from New Hampshire
  • Lance Shaw, New Zealand cricketer
  • Robert S. Shaw, was president of the Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science
  • Kate Shaw, Dr
  • Darren Shaw, former Scotland international rugby league footballer
  • John G. Shaw, U.S. Representative from North Carolina
  • Lorraine Shaw, English hammer thrower
  • Robert L. Shaw, politician from Alberta, Canada
  • Hugh Murray Shaw, farmer, rancher and Canadian federal politician
  • Luci Shaw, Christian poet
  • Brewster H. Shaw, Brewster Hopkinson Shaw Jr
  • George Shaw, English botanist and zoologist
  • Napier Shaw, British meteorologist
  • Patricia Alice Shaw, Canadian linguist specializing
  • A. G. L. Shaw, Australian historian and author of several text books and historiographies on Australian and Victorian history
  • Stanford J. Shaw, American historian, best
  • George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, critic
  • Bob Shaw, science fiction writer and fan
  • Artie Shaw, American clarinetist, composer, bandleader
  • Run Run Shaw, Hong Kong entertainment mogul and philanthropist
  • Fiona Shaw, Irish actress and theatre and opera director
  • Billy Shaw, American former college and professional football player
  • Robert Gould Shaw, American soldier
  • Clay Shaw, businessman in New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Walter Russell Shaw, politician from Prince Edward Island

Related Family Names: