History of your Surname
Get access to Ships family records.Start a free trial

Ships Family History

Ships 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: Shipp, Shipps, Shipe, Shipes, Shi, Shima, Shim, Hils, Hipp, Shin

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Ships family from?

You can see how Ships families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ships family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Ships families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 3 Ships families living in Ohio. This was about 43% of all the recorded Ships's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Ships families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ships surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Ships ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Carpenter was the top reported job for people in the USA named Ships. 38% of Ships men worked as a Carpenter. .

View Census Data for Ships | 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

  • Carpenter
    38%
  • Foreman
    38%
  • Clerk
    25%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Ships family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Ships. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ships census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Ships

Passenger Lists

There are 635 immigration records available for the last name Ships. 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 Ships immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Ships. For the veterans among your Ships ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ships military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ships family history

Discover More

What is the average Ships lifespan?

Between 1972 and 1992, in the United States, Ships life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Ships in 1972 was 65, and 82 in 1992.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ships

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Ships family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Ships last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial