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Shield Family History

Shield Surname Meaning

English: from Middle English s(c)held ‘hut’ (Old English sceld ‘shield’ in the sense ‘protection shelter’) synonymous with the word in Shell 2 but found across England.

English: habitational name from one or more places called from Old English sceldu ‘shallow (water)’ perhaps including Shell Farm in Soham (Cambridgeshire).

English: nickname perhaps for an armorer from Middle English sheld(e) shield(e) ‘shield’ (Old English scild sceld).

English: perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English personal name Schild Scheld (Old English Sceld from sceld ‘shield’).

Irish: variant of Shiel.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shield family from?

You can see how Shield families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shield family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shield families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 412 Shield families living in Durham. This was about 29% of all the recorded Shield's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Shield families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shield 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 Shield 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 Shield. 17% of Shield men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Shield women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shield were Incapacitated and Private Means.

View Census Data for Shield | 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%
  • Dairy Farmer
    8%
  • Farmer
    7%
  • Incapacitated
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Shield family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 48,000 census records available for the last name Shield. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shield census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shield

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Shield. 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 Shield immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Shield. For the veterans among your Shield ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shield military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shield family history

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What is the average Shield lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Shield life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1962, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Shield in 1952 was 47, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shield

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shield 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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