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Shala Family History

Shala Surname Meaning

Americanized form of Czech Šála Šala and Slovenian or Croatian Šala (see Sala). Albanian (mainly Kosovo): from the name of the northern Albanian Shala tribe originating from the Shalë (definite form Shala) region in northern Albania.

Shala (probably also in the sense 3 below) is the fourth or fifth most common surname in Kosovo. Albanian: probably also a metonymic occupational name from shalë (definite form shala) ‘saddle’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shala family from?

You can see how Shala families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shala family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shala families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Shala family living in Kirkcudbrightshire. This was 100% of all the recorded Shala's in Scotland. Kirkcudbrightshire had the highest population of Shala families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shala 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 Shala ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman was the top reported job for people in the USA named Shala. 38% of Shala men worked as a Salesman.

View Census Data for Shala | 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

  • Salesman
    38%
  • Farmer
    38%
  • Leaser
    25%

What Shala family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 423 census records available for the last name Shala. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shala census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shala

Passenger Lists

There are 79 immigration records available for the last name Shala. 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 Shala immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 31 military records available for the last name Shala. For the veterans among your Shala ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shala military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shala family history

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What is the average Shala lifespan?

Between 1965 and 2004, in the United States, Shala life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1996, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Shala in 1965 was 71, and 102 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shala

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shala 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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