Sheffield Family History

Sheffield Surname Meaning

English: habitational name principally from Sheffield (Yorkshire) but perhaps also from Sheffield Bottom in Burghfield (Berkshire) or Sheffield Park in Fletching (Sussex). The Yorkshire place takes its name from the river Sheaf itself from Old English scēath ‘boundary’ + Old English feld ‘open country’ while the Berkshire placename derives from Old English scēo ‘shelter’ + feld.

The Sussex placename comes from Old English scēap ‘sheep’ + feld.

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

Similar surnames: Sherfield, Belfield, Edenfield, Chatfield, Hatfield, Duffield, Schofield, Enfield, Shield, Kenfield

149K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
19K	Military Records
7K	Immigration Records
97K	Census and Voter Lists
494K	Member Trees

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

Where is the Sheffield family from?

You can see how Sheffield families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sheffield family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sheffield families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 141 Sheffield families living in Ontario. This was about 69% of all the recorded Sheffield's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Sheffield families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sheffield surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Sheffield

What did your Sheffield ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Sheffield. 42% of Sheffield men worked as a Farmer and 29% of Sheffield women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sheffield were Engineer and Farmer.

View Census Data for Sheffield

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.

Farmer

42%

Labourer

23%

Laborer

Engineer

Teacher

29%

Servant

22%

Housekeeper

22%

Farmer

15%

What Sheffield family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 97K census records available for the last name Sheffield. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sheffield census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Sheffield

Passenger List

There are 7K immigration records available for the last name Sheffield. 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 Sheffield immigration records

Military Records

There are 19K military records available for the last name Sheffield. For the veterans among your Sheffield ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sheffield military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sheffield family history

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What is the average Sheffield lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Sheffield life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Sheffield in 1940 was 30, and 73 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Sheffield family tree

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Sheffield Surname Meaning

The Sussex placename comes from Old English scēap ‘sheep’ + feld.

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

Where is the Sheffield family from?

What did your Sheffield ancestors do for a living?

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.

Farmer

42%

Labourer

23%

Laborer

Engineer

Teacher

29%

Servant

22%

Housekeeper

22%

Farmer

15%

What Sheffield family records will you find?

What is the average Sheffield lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Sheffield life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Sheffield in 1940 was 30, and 73 in 2004.

Sheffield Family History

Sheffield Surname Meaning

767,000 record(s) for Sheffield

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

Where is the Sheffield family from?

What did your Sheffield ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Sheffield family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Sheffield family history

What is the average Sheffield lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Sheffield family tree

Search for another surname

Sheffield Surname Meaning

767,000 record(s) for Sheffield

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

Where is the Sheffield family from?

What did your Sheffield ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Sheffield family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Sheffield family history

What is the average Sheffield lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Sheffield family tree

Search for another surname