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Shale Family History

Shale Surname Meaning

Perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English shail ‘a crooked gait a shuffling’ (attested in the adverb ashayle 1530 in OED at shail n.), derived from Middle English shailen ‘to stumble shuffle’. It was probably related to shailard see Shayler.

Variant of Seal from Nether- or Overseal (Derbys) recorded in medieval records as Seyle and Scheyle.

Alternatively, perhaps a variant of Sale with a palatalized pronunciation of initial S- as Sh-.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shale family from?

You can see how Shale families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shale family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shale families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 86 Shale families living in Warwickshire. This was about 31% of all the recorded Shale's in United Kingdom. Warwickshire had the highest population of Shale families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shale 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 Shale ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shale. 25% of Shale men worked as a Bricklayer and 64% of Shale women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shale were Horseman cowman and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Shale | 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

  • Bricklayer
    25%
  • Bus Driver
    25%
  • Barbed Wire Maker
    25%
  • Horseman cowman
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    8%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Domestic Servant
    6%

What Shale family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Shale. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shale census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shale

Passenger Lists

There are 870 immigration records available for the last name Shale. 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 Shale immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 875 military records available for the last name Shale. For the veterans among your Shale ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shale military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shale family history

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What is the average Shale lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Shale life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2001, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Shale in 1960 was 40, and 89 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shale

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shale 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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