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Shaffer Family History

Shaffer Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Schäffer (see Schaffer) Schaffer 1 or Schäfer (see Schaefer). 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) or of their Germanized form Schaffer.

Compare Shafer.

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


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Where is the Shaffer family from?

You can see how Shaffer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shaffer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shaffer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 17 Shaffer families living in Lancashire. This was about 55% of all the recorded Shaffer's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Shaffer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shaffer 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 Shaffer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cabinet Maker and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shaffer. 40% of Shaffer men worked as a Cabinet Maker and 100% of Shaffer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Shaffer | 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 1939

  • Cabinet Maker
    40%
  • Carpenter
    20%
  • Furrier
    20%
  • Tailors Machinist
    20%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Shaffer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 235,000 census records available for the last name Shaffer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shaffer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shaffer

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Shaffer. 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 Shaffer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 55,000 military records available for the last name Shaffer. For the veterans among your Shaffer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shaffer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shaffer family history

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What is the average Shaffer lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Shaffer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Shaffer in 1940 was 73, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shaffer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shaffer 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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