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Shimada Family History

Shimada Name Meaning

Japanese: written 島田 ‘island rice paddy’ but not necessarily denoting an island surrounded by water (see Shima ). The surname is listed in the Shinsen shōjiroku and is found mostly in eastern Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands.

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


Similar surnames: Shima, Shimoda, Shibata, Ishikawa, Hamada, Shiraki, Sawada, Ishihara

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Shimada family from?

You can see how Shimada families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shimada family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Shimada families were found in USA in 1920. In 1920 there were 44 Shimada families living in California. This was about 43% of all the recorded Shimada's in USA. California had the highest population of Shimada families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shimada surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Shimada ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Assistant were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Shimada. 29% of Shimada men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Shimada women worked as an Assistant. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shimada were Farm Laborer and Farm Laborer. .

View Census Data for Shimada | 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
    14%
  • Carpenter
    12%
  • Farm Laborer
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Assistant
    18%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Proprietor
    18%
  • Farm Laborer
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shimada family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Shimada

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Shimada. 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 Shimada immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 794 military records available for the last name Shimada. For the veterans among your Shimada ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shimada military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shimada family history

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What is the average Shimada lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Shimada life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Shimada in 1959 was 56, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shimada

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shimada family tree

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