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Shapherd Family History

Shapherd Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Shepherd, Shapero, Sheperd, Shepheard, Shephard, Shepperd, Shaheed

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Shapherd family from?

You can see how Shapherd families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shapherd family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shapherd families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there was 1 Shapherd family living in Kentucky. This was about 50% of all the recorded Shapherd's in USA. Kentucky and 1 other state had the highest population of Shapherd families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shapherd surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Shapherd ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Lorry Driver (travelling) (heavy Worker) and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shapherd. 100% of Shapherd men worked as a Lorry Driver (travelling) (heavy Worker) and 100% of Shapherd women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Shapherd | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

England shown, United States data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Lorry Driver (travelling) (heavy Worker)
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%
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What Shapherd family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 350 census records available for the last name Shapherd. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shapherd census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Shapherd

Passenger Lists

There are 56 immigration records available for the last name Shapherd. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Shapherd immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 36 military records available for the last name Shapherd. For the veterans among your Shapherd ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shapherd military records

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