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Sheff Family History

Sheff Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Schöpf (see Schopf) and Scheff and also of Schepp. Compare Shepp.

Americanized form of French Canadian Cheff. Jewish (American): shortened form of some original eastern Ashkenazic surname; compare Sheftel.

In some cases possibly also an Americanized form of Slovenian Šef: from a Slovenized form of the Middle High German term schepfe ‘juryman’ (see Schopf) which was used as a translation into German of the Slovenian feudal status name for a village judge sodja.

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


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Where is the Sheff family from?

You can see how Sheff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sheff family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Sheff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3 Sheff families living in Hampshire. This was about 50% of all the recorded Sheff's in United Kingdom. Hampshire had the highest population of Sheff families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sheff 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 Sheff ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Sheff. 100% of Sheff women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Sheff | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Sheff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Sheff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sheff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sheff

Passenger Lists

There are 546 immigration records available for the last name Sheff. 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 Sheff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 759 military records available for the last name Sheff. For the veterans among your Sheff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sheff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sheff family history

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What is the average Sheff lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Sheff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Sheff in 1958 was 58, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sheff

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

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