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Shiel Family History

Shiel Surname Meaning

English: variant of Shield

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Siadhail ‘descendant of Siadhal’ an Irish personal name possibly meaning ‘slow-moving slothful’ and the name of a well known medical family.

As is common after l n in transliteration from Irish the Anglicized form may be given a final -d

as in Shields.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Shiel family from?

You can see how Shiel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shiel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shiel families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 152 Shiel families living in Northumberland. This was about 34% of all the recorded Shiel's in United Kingdom. Northumberland had the highest population of Shiel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shiel 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 Shiel 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 Shiel. 28% of Shiel men worked as a General Labourer and 84% of Shiel women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shiel were Plasterer and Comptometer Operator.

View Census Data for Shiel | 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
    28%
  • Fisherman
    16%
  • Horseman On Farm
    12%
  • Plasterer
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    84%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    2%
  • Comptometer Operator
    2%

What Shiel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Shiel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shiel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shiel

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Shiel. 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 Shiel immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Shiel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shiel family history

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What is the average Shiel lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Shiel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Shiel in 1962 was 76, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shiel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shiel 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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