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Shad Family History

Shad Name Meaning

Muslim (Indian subcontinent and Iran): from a personal name based on Persian shād ‘happy cheerful’. English (Middlesex): nickname for someone who caught or sold shad fish from Middle English s(c)had ‘shad’ (Old English sceadd). During the Old English period there was a ‘shad season’ so the fish must have been of some economic importance. Americanized form of German Schad .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Shaw, Shade, Saad, Chad, Sham, Shan, Shada, Shah, Samad, Hoad

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Shad family from?

You can see how Shad families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shad family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shad families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 3 Shad families living in New York. This was about 23% of all the recorded Shad's in USA. New York and 1 other state had the highest population of Shad families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shad 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 Shad ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Cook were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Shad. 38% of Shad men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Shad women worked as a Cook. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shad were Carpenter and H. .

View Census Data for Shad | 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

  • Laborer
    38%
  • Farming
    8%
  • Farmer
    8%
  • Carpenter
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Cook
    15%
  • Clerk
    11%
  • Laundress
    11%
  • H
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shad family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Shad. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shad census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Shad

Passenger Lists

There are 530 immigration records available for the last name Shad. 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 Shad immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 862 military records available for the last name Shad. For the veterans among your Shad ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Shad lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Shad life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1968, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Shad in 1954 was 56, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shad

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