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Shields Family History

Shields Surname Meaning

English: variant of Shield 1 (and perhaps occasionally 2 3 and ) with plural or post-medieval excrescent -s. In the plural form the surname may also be topographic for someone who lived in or near some huts or habitational from a place so named such as North Shields (Northumberland) and South Shields (Durham) though these are unlikely to be the main sources of the surname.

Irish: shortened form of O'Shields an alternative Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Siadhail; see Shiel.

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


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Where is the Shields family from?

You can see how Shields families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shields family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shields families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 677 Shields families living in Lancashire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Shields's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Shields families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shields 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 Shields 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 Shields. 17% of Shields men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Shields women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shields were Bricklayer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Shields | 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
    17%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Shields family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 327,000 census records available for the last name Shields. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shields census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shields

Passenger Lists

There are 40,000 immigration records available for the last name Shields. 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 Shields immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 59,000 military records available for the last name Shields. For the veterans among your Shields ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shields military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shields family history

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What is the average Shields lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Shields life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Shields in 1940 was 42, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shields

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shields 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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