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Shu Family History

Shu Name Meaning

Chinese:: Mandarin form of the surname 舒 meaning ‘stretch unfold’ or ‘leisurely’ in Chinese: from Shu (舒) the name of an ancient state (located in Anhui province) during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). The state was once annexed by the state of Xu in 657 BC but later restored. Later it was eventually annexed by the state of Chu in 552 BC and the name of the state was adopted as a surname. Mandarin form of the surname 束 meaning ‘bind restrain’ in Chinese: adopted in place of the Chinese surname Shu (疏 also written as 疎 in ancient Chinese) by Shu Guang (疎廣) who migrated from Donghai (located in Shandong province) to Sha Lu Hill (located in Henan province) and simplified his surname Shu (疎) to Shu (束) in order to escape from the wars during the late Xin dynasty (9–23 AD). Mandarin form of the surname 殳 referring to a ‘type of ancient weapon made of bamboo’: (i) possibly from name of a type of ancient weapon made of bamboo. (ii) from Shu (殳) said to be name of a fief (possibly located in present-day Shandong province) granted to the third son of Bo Ling during the reign of Emperor Yao (c. 24th century BC). variant Romanization of the surname 蘇 see Su variant of Xu .

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


Similar surnames: Zhu, Su, Hu, Shi, Chu, Lu, Du, Shan, Che, Sha

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Shu family from?

You can see how Shu families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shu family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Shu families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there was 1 Shu family living in Ohio. This was 100% of all the recorded Shu's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Shu families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shu surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Shu ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Shu. 60% of Shu men worked as a Laborer. .

View Census Data for Shu | 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
    60%
  • Proprietor
    40%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shu family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Shu. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shu census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Shu

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Shu. 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 Shu immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Shu. For the veterans among your Shu ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shu military records

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What is the average Shu lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Shu life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1981, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Shu in 1962 was 75, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shu

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