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Shier Family History

Shier Surname Meaning

English (Sussex): variant of Shire or Shear.

Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a Talmudic teacher from Yiddish shier ‘lesson of the Talmud’.

Americanized form of German Schier.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shier family from?

You can see how Shier families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shier family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shier families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 60 Shier families living in Sussex. This was about 27% of all the recorded Shier's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Shier families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shier 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 Shier 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 Shier. 34% of Shier men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Shier women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shier were Cowman and Shorthand Typist.

View Census Data for Shier | 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
    34%
  • Dairy Farmer
    34%
  • Cowman
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    8%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Shorthand Typist
    3%

What Shier family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Shier. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shier census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shier

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Shier. 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 Shier immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Shier. For the veterans among your Shier ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shier military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shier family history

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What is the average Shier lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Shier life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Shier in 1953 was 47, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shier

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shier 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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