Shinn
An English surname probably connected to Chinn or Sheen, with some early sources also treating it as a local name.
The #4,424 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,411 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The 1912 Harrison dictionary treats Shinn as a weak or reduced form of Sheen, while Bardsley also suggests it may be a variant of Chinn, a local surname from a "chine" or ravine. That makes the name most likely English in origin, but not entirely settled. Earlier writers even wondered about a link to an Old English word for a demon or spectre, though Harrison rejects that idea as unlikely.
History
The name is found in English records by the medieval and early modern periods, and later appears in London and Cambridge-area references in Bardsley. Because the surname is relatively uncommon, spellings could shift easily between Shinn, Chinn, and related forms. The modern American bearers likely descend from these English lines, though the exact path can vary by family.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some 19th-century surname writers were so unsure about it that they discussed Shinn alongside both place-based surnames and far less likely folklore-style explanations.
From the historical record
“SHINN, a weak form of Sheen, q.v. There may have been confusion with Chinn, q.v. The name can hardly be the O.E. scinnifl, ' demon,' ' spectre.' , SHINNER (Eng.) Wizard, Magician [O.E. scinnere] SHIP \ (Eng.) Dweller at the sign of the Ship SHIPP; [O.E. s«>]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)