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Shire Family History

Shire Surname Meaning

English: variant of Shear. English: topographic name from Middle English s(c)hire ‘shire’ (Old English scīr) denoting someone who lived at or near the meeting place of a shire hundred or smaller administrative unit.

This name was also established in Ireland (Limerick) by the 18th century.

Somali: from the personal name Shire derived from shir ‘assembly’.

Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

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 Shire family from?

You can see how Shire families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shire family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shire families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 194 Shire families living in Somerset. This was about 47% of all the recorded Shire's in United Kingdom. Somerset had the highest population of Shire families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shire 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 Shire ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shire. 25% of Shire men worked as a Farmer and 76% of Shire women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shire were Cowman and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Shire | 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

  • Farmer
    25%
  • Dairy Farmer
    18%
  • General Farm Labourer
    8%
  • Cowman
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Household Duties
    5%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Shire family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Shire. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shire census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shire

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Shire. For the veterans among your Shire ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shire military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shire family history

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What is the average Shire lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Shire life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Shire in 1952 was 36, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shire

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shire 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 Shire family tree

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