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Shorten Family History

Shorten Name Meaning

Irish (Cork): Anglicized form of Gaelic Seartáin a variant of Soirtéil (see Shortell ). English (Norfolk): habitational name from Shorton in Paignton (Devon) and perhaps from one or more unidentified places. The Devon placename may derive from Old English scīr ‘bright gleaming’ + dūn ‘hill’ but this cannot be certain due to a lack of medieval forms.

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


Similar surnames: Shortell, Short, Horten, Shurden, Holten, Slotten, Shorter, Soren

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 Shorten family from?

You can see how Shorten families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shorten family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shorten families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 212 Shorten families living in Norfolk. This was about 48% of all the recorded Shorten's in United Kingdom. Norfolk had the highest population of Shorten families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shorten surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Shorten ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shorten. 14% of Shorten men worked as a Bricklayer and 75% of Shorten women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shorten were Old Age Pensioner and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Shorten | 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

  • Bricklayer
    14%
  • General Labourer
    14%
  • Bricklayer Heavy Worker
    9%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shorten family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Shorten. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shorten census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shorten

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Shorten military records

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What is the average Shorten lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Shorten life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Shorten in 1960 was 65, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shorten

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