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Gershaw Family History

Gershaw Surname 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: Kershaw, Henshaw, Deshaw, Renshaw, Gershon, Forshaw, Versaw, Redshaw

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Gershaw family from?

You can see how Gershaw families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gershaw family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gershaw families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Gershaw family living in Yorkshire. This was 100% of all the recorded Gershaw's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Gershaw families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gershaw surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gershaw ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gershaw. 31% of Gershaw men worked as a Laborer and 60% of Gershaw women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gershaw were Farmer and Saleslady.

View Census Data for Gershaw | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    31%
  • Salesman
    24%
  • Labor
    16%
  • Farmer
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    60%
  • Saleslady
    40%

What Gershaw family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 394 census records available for the last name Gershaw. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gershaw census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gershaw

Passenger Lists

There are 71 immigration records available for the last name Gershaw. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gershaw immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 48 military records available for the last name Gershaw. For the veterans among your Gershaw ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gershaw military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gershaw family history

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What is the average Gershaw lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2002, in the United States, Gershaw life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Gershaw in 1964 was 75, and 70 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gershaw

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gershaw ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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