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

Shortell Family History

Shortell Name Meaning

Irish: re-Anglicized form of Gaelic Seartal Soirtéil Gaelicized forms of the obsolete English surname Shorthals from Middle English s(c)hort ‘short’ + hals ‘neck’. The name was taken to Ireland in the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307).

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


Similar surnames: Shortall, Shorter, Short, Mortell, Shorten, Showell, Hartell, Thorell

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 Shortell family from?

You can see how Shortell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shortell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shortell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 42 Shortell families living in Ontario. This was about 75% of all the recorded Shortell's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Shortell families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shortell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Shortell ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Shortell. 62% of Shortell men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Shortell women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shortell were Labourer and Farmer. .

View Census Data for Shortell | 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
    62%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Fathers Farm
    12%
  • Labourer
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    50%
  • Farmer
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shortell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Shortell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shortell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Shortell

Passenger Lists

There are 952 immigration records available for the last name Shortell. 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 Shortell immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Shortell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shortell family history

Discover More

What is the average Shortell lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Shortell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1990, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Shortell in 1958 was 51, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shortell

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shortell family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Shortell last name

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