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Shane Family History

Shane Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened form of McShane an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Seáin ‘son of John’.

Americanized form of Jewish Schein or Shain.

Americanized form of German Schön (see Schoen).

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 Shane family from?

You can see how Shane families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shane family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shane families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 62 Shane families living in Yorkshire. This was about 16% of all the recorded Shane's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Shane families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shane 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 Shane ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shane. 28% of Shane men worked as an Incapacitated and 83% of Shane women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shane were House ship Painter and Household.

View Census Data for Shane | 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

  • Incapacitated
    28%
  • General Labourer
    19%
  • Iron Moulder (heary)
    19%
  • House ship Painter
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    83%
  • Domestic Duties Unpaid
    5%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Household
    3%

What Shane family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 51,000 census records available for the last name Shane. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shane census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shane

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Shane. For the veterans among your Shane ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shane military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shane family history

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What is the average Shane lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Shane life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Shane in 1942 was 38, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shane

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shane 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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