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Schiff Family History

Schiff Name Meaning

German: from Middle High German schif ‘ship’ applied as a metonymic occupational name for a mariner or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a ship. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial or habitational name (see 1 above) from German Schiff ‘ship’.

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


Similar surnames: Schaff, Schild, Schuff, Schiffer, Schaaf, Shiff, Scherf, Scheff

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 Schiff family from?

You can see how Schiff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Schiff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Schiff families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 13 Schiff families living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Schiff's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Schiff families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Schiff surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Schiff ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Schiff. 22% of Schiff men worked as a Salesman and 12% of Schiff women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Schiff were Farmer and Saleslady. .

View Census Data for Schiff | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Salesman
    22%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Proprietor
    6%
  • Farmer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    12%
  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Clerk
    11%
  • Saleslady
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Schiff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Schiff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Schiff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Schiff

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Schiff. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Schiff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Schiff. For the veterans among your Schiff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Schiff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Schiff family history

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What is the average Schiff lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Schiff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Schiff in 1944 was 35, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Schiff

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Schiff family tree

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