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Shelly Family History

Shelly Surname Meaning

English and Irish: variant of Shelley.

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 Shelly family from?

You can see how Shelly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shelly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shelly families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 102 Shelly families living in Staffordshire. This was about 17% of all the recorded Shelly's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Shelly families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shelly 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 Shelly ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cabinet Maker and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shelly. 28% of Shelly men worked as a Cabinet Maker and 82% of Shelly women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shelly were Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic Duti.

View Census Data for Shelly | 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

  • Cabinet Maker
    28%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    19%
  • Barman
    19%
  • Incapacitated
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    4%

What Shelly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 53,000 census records available for the last name Shelly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shelly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shelly

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Shelly. 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 Shelly immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Shelly. For the veterans among your Shelly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shelly military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shelly family history

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What is the average Shelly lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Shelly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Shelly in 1942 was 55, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shelly

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

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