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Sheff Family History

Sheff Name Meaning

Americanized form of German Schöpf (see Schopf ) and Scheff and also of Schepp . Compare Shepp . Americanized form of French Canadian Cheff . Jewish (American): shortened form of some original eastern Ashkenazic surname; compare Sheftel . In some cases possibly also an Americanized form of Slovenian Šef: from a Slovenized form of the Middle High German term schepfe ‘juryman’ (see Schopf ) which was used as a translation into German of the Slovenian feudal status name for a village judge sodja.

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


Similar surnames: Shiff, Shaff, Shenk, Shuff, Shoff, Skoff, Shein, Sher, Shew, Shen

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 Sheff family from?

You can see how Sheff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sheff family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Sheff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 11 Sheff families living in Ontario. This was about 69% of all the recorded Sheff's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Sheff families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sheff 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 Sheff ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sheff. 19% of Sheff men worked as a Salesman and 15% of Sheff women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sheff were New Worker and Stemmer. .

View Census Data for Sheff | 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
    19%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Manager
    8%
  • New Worker
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Bookkeeper
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Stemmer
    8%
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What Sheff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Sheff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sheff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Sheff

Passenger Lists

There are 546 immigration records available for the last name Sheff. 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 Sheff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 759 military records available for the last name Sheff. For the veterans among your Sheff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Sheff lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Sheff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Sheff in 1958 was 58, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sheff

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