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Shorter Family History

Shorter Surname Meaning

English:: topographic name for someone who lived by a detached or cut-off piece of land known in Middle English as a sherte shirte or shurte (Old English scerte scierte scyrte). The addition of + -er to a topographic term to form an agent noun is typical of Surrey, Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire and may also have occurred in Berkshire and Wiltshire.

The name is synonymous with atte Scherte and atte Schurte; see Short and Shortman. In Staffordshire, apparently a shortened form of Shorters, itself a variant of Shorthouse, a nickname either for someone who wore short stockings or boots (Middle English short ‘short’ + hose ‘stocking, boot’).

Alternatively, it could refer to someone with a short neck (Middle English short + hals ‘neck’; see Shortell). This representation reflects both geographical and physical attributes that influenced the naming conventions of the period.

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


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Where is the Shorter family from?

You can see how Shorter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shorter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shorter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 381 Shorter families living in London. This was about 27% of all the recorded Shorter's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Shorter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shorter 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 Shorter ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shorter. 11% of Shorter men worked as a Gardener and 67% of Shorter women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shorter were General Labourer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Shorter | 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

  • Gardener
    11%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Bricklayer
    7%
  • General Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Shorter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 56,000 census records available for the last name Shorter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shorter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shorter

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Shorter military records

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What is the average Shorter lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Shorter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1962. The average life expectancy for Shorter in 1941 was 32, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shorter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shorter 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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