History of your Surname
Get access to Shier family records.Start a free trial

Shier Family History

Shier Name Meaning

English (Sussex): variant of Shire or Shear . Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a Talmudic teacher from Yiddish shier ‘lesson of the Talmud’. Americanized form of German Schier .

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


Similar surnames: Spier, Shirer, Sher, Stier, Shaer, Shimer, Speer, Shiver, Sheer

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Shier family from?

You can see how Shier families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shier family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shier families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 188 Shier families living in Ontario. This was about 72% of all the recorded Shier's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Shier families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shier surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Shier ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Shier. 50% of Shier men worked as a Farmer and 32% of Shier women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shier were Farmers Son and Cult. .

View Census Data for Shier | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    50%
  • Carpenter
    6%
  • Merchant
    5%
  • Farmers Son
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Income
    32%
  • Teacher
    19%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • Cult
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shier family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Shier. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shier census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Shier

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Shier military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shier family history

Discover More

What is the average Shier lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Shier life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Shier in 1953 was 47, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shier

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shier family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Shier last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial