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Shelson Family History

Shelson 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: Sheldon, Shelton, Snelson, Elson, Nelson, Melson, Stenson, Kelson

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 Shelson family from?

You can see how Shelson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shelson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shelson families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1840 there was 1 Shelson family living in Massachusetts. This was 100% of all the recorded Shelson's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Shelson families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shelson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Shelson ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Nurse were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Shelson. 47% of Shelson men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Shelson women worked as a Nurse. .

View Census Data for Shelson | 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
    47%
  • Machinist
    20%
  • Farmer
    20%
  • Lawyer
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Nurse
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shelson family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Shelson

Passenger Lists

There are 280 immigration records available for the last name Shelson. 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 Shelson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 162 military records available for the last name Shelson. For the veterans among your Shelson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shelson military records

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What is the average Shelson lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2002, in the United States, Shelson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1963, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Shelson in 1963 was 35, and 54 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shelson

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shelson family tree

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