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Shays Family History

Shays 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: Shams, Hays, Shay, Hay, Hayes, Shan, Say, Shah, Sas, Shaw

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shays family from?

You can see how Shays families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shays family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shays families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 18 Shays families living in Surrey. This was about 21% of all the recorded Shays's in United Kingdom. Surrey had the highest population of Shays families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shays 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 Shays ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Shays. 100% of Shays women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Shays | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Shays family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Shays

Passenger Lists

There are 180 immigration records available for the last name Shays. 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 Shays immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 431 military records available for the last name Shays. For the veterans among your Shays ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shays military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shays family history

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What is the average Shays lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2003, in the United States, Shays life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Shays in 1964 was 52, and 60 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shays

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shays 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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