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Kershaw Family History

Kershaw Name Meaning

English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): habitational name probably from Kershaw in Middleton (Lancashire) named as ‘church wood’ (Old Norse kirkja ‘church’ + Old English sceaga ‘small wood copse’). There are two minor places in Yorkshire called Kershaw which may have been named after families bearing the Lancashire surname.

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


Similar surnames: Henshaw, Shaw, Renshaw, Redshaw, Kirkham, Forshaw, Worsham, Deshaw

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Where is the Kershaw family from?

You can see how Kershaw families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kershaw family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kershaw families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 31 Kershaw families living in Ontario. This was about 34% of all the recorded Kershaw's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Kershaw families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kershaw surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Kershaw ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Kershaw. 45% of Kershaw men worked as a Farmer and 37% of Kershaw women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kershaw were Laborer and Maid. .

View Census Data for Kershaw | 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
    45%
  • Labourer
    20%
  • Clerk
    12%
  • Laborer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    37%
  • Operator
    28%
  • Teacher
    19%
  • Maid
    19%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Kershaw family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 167,000 census records available for the last name Kershaw. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kershaw census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Kershaw

Passenger Lists

There are 23,000 immigration records available for the last name Kershaw. 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 Kershaw immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Kershaw. For the veterans among your Kershaw ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Kershaw lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Kershaw life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Kershaw in 1948 was 44, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kershaw

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