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Shead Family History

Shead Surname Meaning

English (Essex): variant of Shedd. Irish: shortened and altered form of Sheedy.

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 Shead family from?

You can see how Shead families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shead family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shead families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 277 Shead families living in Essex. This was about 35% of all the recorded Shead's in United Kingdom. Essex had the highest population of Shead families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shead 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 Shead 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 Shead. 17% of Shead men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Shead women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shead were Carpenter and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Shead | 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
    17%
  • Police Constable
    9%
  • Painter
    7%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Shead family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Shead. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shead census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shead

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Shead. 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 Shead immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Shead. For the veterans among your Shead ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shead military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shead family history

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What is the average Shead lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Shead life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Shead in 1947 was 34, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shead

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shead 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shead family tree

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