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Shea Family History

Shea Surname Meaning

Irish (Kerry): shortened form of O'Shea or McShea Anglicized forms of Gaelic Ó Séaghdha ‘descendant of Séaghdha’ or Mac Séaghdha ‘son of Séaghdha’ a byname meaning ‘fine’ or ‘fortunate’.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 佘 see She.

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


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Where is the Shea family from?

You can see how Shea families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shea family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shea families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 750 Shea families living in London. This was about 38% of all the recorded Shea's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Shea families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shea 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 Shea 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 Shea. 24% of Shea men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Shea women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shea were House Painter and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Shea | 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
    24%
  • Incapacitated
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • House Painter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Shea family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 271,000 census records available for the last name Shea. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shea census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shea

Passenger Lists

There are 70,000 immigration records available for the last name Shea. 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 Shea immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 52,000 military records available for the last name Shea. For the veterans among your Shea ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shea military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shea family history

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What is the average Shea lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Shea life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Shea in 1941 was 38, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shea

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shea 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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