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Scherf Family History

Scherf Surname Meaning

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German Middle Low German scherf, a coin worth half a penny, possibly applied as a nickname for a poor person.

German: nickname from Middle High German scharpf, scherf ‘sharp, rough’.

German: habitational name from any of the places in the Rhineland named Scherf.

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


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Where is the Scherf family from?

You can see how Scherf families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Scherf family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Scherf families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 5 Scherf families living in Sussex. This was 100% of all the recorded Scherf's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Scherf families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Scherf 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 Scherf ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Scherf. 16% of Scherf men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Scherf women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Scherf were Clerk and Stenographer.

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*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    16%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Clerk
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    19%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • New Worker
    8%
  • Stenographer
    8%

What Scherf family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Scherf. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Scherf census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Scherf

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Scherf. For the veterans among your Scherf ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Scherf military records

You've only scratched the surface of Scherf family history

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What is the average Scherf lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Scherf life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1987. The average life expectancy for Scherf in 1951 was 57, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Scherf

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Scherf 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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