Sham Family History

Sham Surname Meaning

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 沈 see Shen.

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 岑 see Cen.

Indian (Gujarat) Pakistani and Bangladeshi: from a Persian word meaning ‘on the left side’ and ‘Syria’ (see Shami).

English: variant of Shum.

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

Similar surnames: Cham, Ham, Sam, Shan, Shaw, Shah, Shum, Wham, Isham, Hau

23,000 record(s) for Sham

5K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
1K	Military Records
1K	Immigration Records
9K	Census and Voter Lists
5K	Member Trees

Where is the Sham family from?

You can see how Sham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sham families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 3 Sham families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 30% of all the recorded Sham's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Sham families in 1840.

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

What did your Sham ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sham. 25% of Sham men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Sham women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sham were Salesman and Farmer.

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 1940

Farmer

25%

Laborer

15%

Truck driver

10%

Salesman

5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housekeeper

18%

Waitress

14%

Teacher

14%

Farmer

14%

What Sham family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 9K census records available for the last name Sham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 1K immigration records available for the last name Sham. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

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

What is the average Sham lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Sham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Sham in 1964 was 66, and 67 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sham 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.