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Schaff Family History

Schaff Surname Meaning

German: variant of Schaaf.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial or occupational name from German Schaf ‘sheep’.

German: metonymic occupational name for a tubmaker from Middle High German schaff(e) ‘wooden vessel scoop’ (see Scheffel).

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


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Where is the Schaff family from?

You can see how Schaff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Schaff family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Schaff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 4 Schaff families living in London. This was about 80% of all the recorded Schaff's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Schaff families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Schaff 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 Schaff ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Dressmaker was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Schaff. 100% of Schaff women worked as a Dressmaker.

View Census Data for Schaff | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Dressmaker
    100%

What Schaff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Schaff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Schaff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Schaff

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Schaff. For the veterans among your Schaff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Schaff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Schaff family history

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What is the average Schaff lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Schaff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Schaff in 1951 was 51, and 89 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Schaff

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Schaff 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Schaff family tree

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