This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Shafer family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Shafer Family History

Shafer Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Schäfer (see Schaefer).

SchäFFER (see Schaffer) or Schaffer Americanized form of Hungarian Sáfár.

Slovenian and Croatian Šafar or Šafer Czech Šafář or Šafer Slovak Šafár.

In part cognates of names in 1 above (see Safar).

Compare Shaffer.

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


Similar surnames: 

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shafer family from?

You can see how Shafer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shafer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shafer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 10 Shafer families living in London. This was about 50% of all the recorded Shafer's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Shafer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shafer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Shafer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Shafer. 100% of Shafer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Shafer | 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

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Shafer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 156,000 census records available for the last name Shafer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shafer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shafer

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Shafer. 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 Shafer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Shafer. For the veterans among your Shafer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shafer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shafer family history

Discover More

What is the average Shafer lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Shafer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Shafer in 1941 was 35, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shafer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shafer 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 Shafer family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial