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Shipherd Family History

Shipherd 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, Shipper, Sheperd, Shepheard, Shephard, Shepperd, Shipler

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 Shipherd family from?

You can see how Shipherd families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shipherd family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shipherd families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 2 Shipherd families living in Michigan. This was about 33% of all the recorded Shipherd's in USA. Michigan and 2 other states had the highest population of Shipherd families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shipherd 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 Shipherd ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Shipherd. 29% of Shipherd men worked as a Farmer and 21% of Shipherd women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shipherd were Farming and House Work. .

View Census Data for Shipherd | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    29%
  • Laborer
    21%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Farming
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    21%
  • Housewife
    17%
  • Maid
    17%
  • House Work
    17%
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What Shipherd family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Shipherd. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shipherd census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Shipherd

Passenger Lists

There are 544 immigration records available for the last name Shipherd. 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 Shipherd immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 232 military records available for the last name Shipherd. For the veterans among your Shipherd ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shipherd military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shipherd family history

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What is the average Shipherd lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2002, in the United States, Shipherd life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1985, and highest in 1966. The average life expectancy for Shipherd in 1966 was 94, and 90 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shipherd

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shipherd family tree

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