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Schiff Family History

Schiff Surname Meaning

German: from Middle High German schif ‘ship’ applied as a metonymic occupational name for a mariner or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a ship.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial or habitational name (see 1 above) from German Schiff ‘ship’.

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


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Where is the Schiff family from?

You can see how Schiff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Schiff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Schiff families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 44 Schiff families living in London. This was about 80% of all the recorded Schiff's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Schiff families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Schiff 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 Schiff ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Private Means and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Schiff. 43% of Schiff men worked as a Private Means and 44% of Schiff women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Schiff were Commission Agent and Cook General.

View Census Data for Schiff | 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

  • Private Means
    43%
  • Commercial Traveller
    29%
  • Commission Agent
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    44%
  • Private Means
    14%
  • Domestic Servant
    10%
  • Cook General
    7%

What Schiff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Schiff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Schiff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Schiff

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Schiff. 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 Schiff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Schiff. For the veterans among your Schiff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Schiff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Schiff family history

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What is the average Schiff lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Schiff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Schiff in 1944 was 35, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Schiff

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

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