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Shortman Family History

Shortman Surname Meaning

English (Gloucestershire): nickname for a man of short stature or from an early Middle English personal name Shortman. Old English Sceortmann derived from the nickname and possibly attested in Sordemaneford (1086 in Domesday Book), now Shortmansford in Stogursey (Somerset).

Native American (also Short Man): translation into English of a personal name such as Navajo Hastiin Yázhí composed of hastiin ‘man’ and yázhí ‘little (one)’ (see Yazzie).

Compare Littleman and Shorty.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Shortman family from?

You can see how Shortman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shortman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shortman families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 15 Shortman families living in Alberta. This was about 58% of all the recorded Shortman's in Canada. Alberta had the highest population of Shortman families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shortman 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 Shortman ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shortman. 36% of Shortman men worked as a General Labourer and 79% of Shortman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shortman were Road Sweeper and Unpaid Domestic Dut.

View Census Data for Shortman | 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.

England shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    36%
  • Colliery Hewer
    18%
  • General Labourer Heavy Wor
    12%
  • Road Sweeper
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%

What Shortman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Shortman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shortman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Shortman

Passenger Lists

There are 340 immigration records available for the last name Shortman. 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 Shortman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 536 military records available for the last name Shortman. For the veterans among your Shortman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shortman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shortman family history

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What is the average Shortman lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Shortman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1986, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Shortman in 1962 was 65, and 65 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shortman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shortman 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.

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