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Shay Family History

Shay Surname Meaning

Irish: variant of Shea; compare O'Shea (where Shea is pronounced as Shay).

Scottish and English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): variant of Shaw.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 佘 see She.

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 Shay family from?

You can see how Shay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shay families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 106 Shay families living in Yorkshire. This was about 28% of all the recorded Shay's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Shay families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shay 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 Shay ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shay. 43% of Shay men worked as an Incapacitated and 84% of Shay women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shay were General Labourer and House Wife.

View Census Data for Shay | 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

  • Incapacitated
    43%
  • Market Gardener (own Ac)
    29%
  • General Labourer
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    84%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    4%
  • House Wife
    4%

What Shay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 87,000 census records available for the last name Shay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shay

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Shay. 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 Shay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Shay. For the veterans among your Shay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shay family history

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What is the average Shay lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Shay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Shay in 1941 was 36, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shay

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shay 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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