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Shafter Family History

Shafter Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Schaffter. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Schaffter.

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


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Where is the Shafter family from?

You can see how Shafter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shafter family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Shafter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 10 Shafter families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Shafter's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Shafter families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shafter 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 Shafter ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Carpenter was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Shafter. 100% of Shafter men worked as a Carpenter.

View Census Data for Shafter | 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

  • Carpenter
    100%

What Shafter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Shafter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shafter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Shafter

Passenger Lists

There are 307 immigration records available for the last name Shafter. 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 Shafter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Shafter. For the veterans among your Shafter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shafter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shafter family history

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What is the average Shafter lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Shafter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Shafter in 1949 was 53, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shafter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shafter ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shafter family tree

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