Show ContentsShapiro History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Shapiro surname is derived from the Middle High German word "schaf," meaning "sheep." As such, the name is thought to have originally been occupational.

Early Origins of the Shapiro family

The surname Shapiro was first found in Prussia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Shapiro family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shapiro research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1714 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Shapiro History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shapiro Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Schaper, Schapper, Schapere, Schapers, Schaperes, Schappers, Schappere, Schaaper, Schaeper, Shaper, Schaperr and many more.

Early Notables of the Shapiro family

More information is included under the topic Early Shapiro Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shapiro Ranking

In the United States, the name Shapiro is the 1,666th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1


United States Shapiro migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shapiro Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joe Shapiro, who settled in Boston in 1890
  • David Myer Shapiro, who landed in Mississippi in 1898 2
Shapiro Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Abram Shapiro, aged 20, who landed in America, in 1900
  • Henry Shapiro, who settled in Allegheny Co. Pennsylvania in 1904
  • Abraham Shapiro, who settled in Alabama in 1905
  • Abram Shapiro, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Minsk, in 1905
  • Abraham Shapiro, aged 23, who settled in America from Manchester, in 1905
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Shapiro (post 1700) +

  • Peter Ian Shapiro (1952-2024), American financial services executive, member of the Board of Directors of New Israel Fund, and politician from New Jersey
  • George Shapiro (1931-2022), American talent manager and television producer, best known for representing Jerry Seinfeld, Carl Reiner and Andy Kaufman, and as a producer for the sitcom Seinfeld
  • Leslie Mark "Les" Shapiro (1956-2022), American sports media figure, an anchor for CBS Sports, and a host of the ESPN radio talk program, in Denver, Colorado
  • Carl J. Shapiro (1913-2021), American businessman and philanthropist
  • Norma Sondra Levy Shapiro (1928-2016), American jurist, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (1978–1998)
  • Zalman Mordecai Shapiro (1920-2016), American chemist and inventor; he played a key role in the reactor development of the world's first nuclear powered submarine, the Nautilus
  • Harvey Shapiro (1924-2013), American poet and former editor of The New York Times
  • Samuel H. Shapiro (1907-1987), American politician, 34th Governor of Illinois
  • Robert B. Shapiro (b. 1938), American CEO Monsanto 1995-2000, CEO NutraSweet 1982-1990
  • Robert Shapiro (b. 1942), American lawyer best known for representing numerous celebrities
  • ... (Another 45 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)
  • Amy Elizabeth Shapiro (1967-1988), American Student from Stamford, Connecticut, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 3
Triangle Waist Company
  • Miss Rosie Shapiro (b. 1894), Russian Jewish garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she died in the fire 4


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
  4. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire


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