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Shafner Family History

Shafner 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: Hafner, Shaner, Shafter, Shaffer, Shafer, Shaffner, Shofner, Hamner

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shafner family from?

You can see how Shafner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shafner family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Shafner families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 33 Shafner families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 89% of all the recorded Shafner's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Shafner families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shafner 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 Shafner ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Shafner. 42% of Shafner men worked as a Farmer and 22% of Shafner women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shafner were Clerk and Teacher.

View Census Data for Shafner | 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

  • Farmer
    42%
  • Laborer
    32%
  • Proprietor
    14%
  • Clerk
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    22%
  • Nurse
    22%
  • Helper
    15%
  • Teacher
    15%

What Shafner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Shafner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shafner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shafner

Passenger Lists

There are 244 immigration records available for the last name Shafner. 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 Shafner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 343 military records available for the last name Shafner. For the veterans among your Shafner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shafner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shafner family history

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What is the average Shafner lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2003, in the United States, Shafner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Shafner in 1964 was 85, and 71 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shafner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shafner 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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