Sheff Family History

Sheff Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Schöpf (see Schopf) and Scheff and also of Schepp. Compare Shepp.

Americanized form of French Canadian Cheff. Jewish (American): shortened form of some original eastern Ashkenazic surname; compare Sheftel.

In some cases possibly also an Americanized form of Slovenian Šef: from a Slovenized form of the Middle High German term schepfe ‘juryman’ (see Schopf) which was used as a translation into German of the Slovenian feudal status name for a village judge sodja.

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

Similar surnames: Shiff, Shaff, Shenk, Shuff, Shoff, Skoff, Shein, Sher, Shew, Shen

17,000 record(s) for Sheff

5K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
759	Military Records
546	Immigration Records
3K	Census and Voter Lists
7K	Member Trees

Where is the Sheff family from?

You can see how Sheff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sheff family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Sheff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 4 Sheff families living in Virginia. This was about 80% of all the recorded Sheff's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Sheff families in 1840.

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

What did your Sheff ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sheff. 19% of Sheff men worked as a Salesman and 15% of Sheff women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sheff were New worker and Stemmer.

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

Salesman

19%

Laborer

19%

Manager

8%

New worker

6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Stenographer

15%

Bookkeeper

12%

Housekeeper

8%

Stemmer

8%

What Sheff family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 3K census records available for the last name Sheff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sheff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 546 immigration records available for the last name Sheff. 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 759 military records available for the last name Sheff. For the veterans among your Sheff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Sheff lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Sheff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Sheff in 1958 was 58, and 78 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sheff 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.