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Shapter Family History

Shapter Surname Meaning

from Middle English shapster shipster ‘seamstress dressmaker’ the feminine form of Shaper.

The medial -s- may have vanished through association of the name with the word tor or through dissimilation of fricatives.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shapter family from?

You can see how Shapter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shapter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shapter families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 144 Shapter families living in Devon. This was about 61% of all the recorded Shapter's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Shapter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shapter 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 Shapter ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shapter. 43% of Shapter men worked as a General Labourer and 96% of Shapter women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shapter were Horseman On Farm and Caretaker School.

View Census Data for Shapter | 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

  • General Labourer
    43%
  • Builders Labourer
    29%
  • Horseman On Farm
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    96%
  • Caretaker School
    5%

What Shapter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Shapter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shapter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shapter

Passenger Lists

There are 534 immigration records available for the last name Shapter. 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 Shapter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 556 military records available for the last name Shapter. For the veterans among your Shapter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shapter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shapter family history

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What is the average Shapter lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Shapter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1969, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Shapter in 1963 was 78, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shapter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shapter 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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