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Shinn Family History

Shinn Name Meaning

English (Norfolk and Suffolk): nickname from Middle English shin(ne) ‘fair handsome’ a variant of Shine 3 and Sheen

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


Similar surnames: Shine, Ginn, Shean, Shipp, Chinn, Hind, Finn, Shann, Zinn, Smink

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Shinn family from?

You can see how Shinn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shinn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shinn families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 152 Shinn families living in London. This was about 25% of all the recorded Shinn's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Shinn families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shinn 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 Shinn ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farm Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shinn. 20% of Shinn men worked as a Farm Labourer and 72% of Shinn women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shinn were Cowman and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Shinn | 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

  • Farm Labourer
    20%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    15%
  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Cowman
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Housekeeper
    4%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shinn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 49,000 census records available for the last name Shinn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shinn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shinn

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Shinn. 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 Shinn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Shinn. For the veterans among your Shinn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shinn military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shinn family history

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What is the average Shinn lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Shinn life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Shinn in 1951 was 53, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shinn

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