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Shears Family History

Shears Surname Meaning

English: variant of Shear or Shire with post-medieval excrescent -s.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shears family from?

You can see how Shears families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shears family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shears families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 300 Shears families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Shears's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Shears families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shears 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 Shears 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 Shears. 12% of Shears men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Shears women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shears were Plasterer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Shears | 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
    12%
  • Builders Labourer
    9%
  • Carpenter joiner
    6%
  • Plasterer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Shears family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Shears

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Shears. 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 Shears immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Shears. For the veterans among your Shears ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shears military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shears family history

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What is the average Shears lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Shears life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Shears in 1944 was 31, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shears

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shears 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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