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Shean Family History

Shean Name Meaning

Irish: reduced form of Sheehan. English: nickname for an attractive person, from Middle English schene ‘fair’, ‘comely’, ‘handsome’. English: habitational name from Sheen in Surrey and Staffordshire, both named in Old English with the plural of sceo ‘shed’, ‘shelter’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Hearn, Dean, Shear, Shaw, Bean, Stein, Shan, Sheen, Shera, Shea

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 Shean family from?

You can see how Shean families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shean family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shean families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 9 Shean families living in New York. This was about 45% of all the recorded Shean's in USA. New York had the highest population of Shean families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shean 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 Shean ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Shean. 22% of Shean men worked as a Laborer and 12% of Shean women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shean were Clerk and Saleslady. .

View Census Data for Shean | 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
    22%
  • Salesman
    12%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    12%
  • New Worker
    8%
  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Saleslady
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shean family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Shean. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shean census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Shean

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Shean. 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 Shean immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Shean. For the veterans among your Shean ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shean military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shean family history

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What is the average Shean lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Shean life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Shean in 1953 was 43, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shean

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