The Shipman surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 15,581 people carried this name — #2,339 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 18,900 people counted. That is up 4% from 14,917 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Shipman surname

A surname originating as an occupation.

Either from sheep + man, or from shipman.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Shipman» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the shipman’.

An early record he cites: William Schippeman, Lincolnshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 686 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Shipman was found among the farmers of Leicestershire and Rutland: 42 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Leicestershire and Rutland 42

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

44 Shipman families were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 275 people lived in those households, 6.3 to a family on average. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 19
North Carolina 8
Vermont 7
New York 5
Pennsylvania 4
Massachusetts 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 261 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Shipman in American newspapers,
1915–1922.

Newspaper page from The Denison Review carrying the name Shipman
The Denison Review 1915-12-29
Newspaper page from The Democratic Advocate carrying the name Shipman
The Democratic Advocate 1922-11-24
Newspaper page from The City Itemizer carrying the name Shipman
The City Itemizer 1916-06-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 81,664 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Shipman in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1980s.

3,896 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Shipman. The most, 1,124, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,152
Queensland 666
Victoria 522
Western Australia 255
South Australia 187
Tasmania 93
ACT (Canberra) 9
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Shipman.

Who carried it

People named Shipman,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Davis Shipman
    William Davis Shipman 1818–1898 · judge
  • Nathaniel Shipman
    Nathaniel Shipman 1828–1906 · judge
  • Jonathan Edward Shipman
    Jonathan Edward Shipman 1832– · politician
  • Abraham Shipman d. 1664 · diplomat
  • Perry Shipman d. 1921 · planter
  • Mary Garneys 1653–1726

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Shipman,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,133 records

1,133 records of the Shipman name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 498
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 242
  • Other U.S. records 393
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Duane Shipman

    Born 1943; from Danville, Illinois. U.S. Army, infantryman; died of wounds 1970 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James R. Shipman

    Born 1908 in Texas. Enlisted 1944 at Dallas; ironworker from Dallas County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1966, buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Shipman

    Arrived at Philadelphia in 1850 aboard the Robert Barton from Liverpool, aged 23; mechanic.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,133 records for Shipman in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia92 records

92 records of the Shipman name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 48
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 25
  • Other Australian records 19
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Shipman

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Surry, arriving 1823; ticket of leave 1829. Native of Kent.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Walter Shipman

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Arundel, aged 40; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Benjamin Shipman

    Shop prop of Portland, Victoria; died 1972.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 92 records for Shipman in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada21 records

21 records of the Shipman name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 7
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 6
  • Other Canadian records 8
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Paul Shipman

    Buried in 1982 at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Leroy Holton Shipman

    Died 1958 in Liverpool, Queens, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Ernest Shipman

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 21 records for Shipman in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom13 records

13 records of the Shipman name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 10
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Abraham Shipman

    Buried in 1793 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 40.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Shipman

    Gunner, Cambridgeshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Shipman

    Buried in 1807 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 65.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 13 records for Shipman in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France6 records

6 records of the Shipman name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Renee Raymonde Shipman

    Born 1924 in Calais; died 1972 in Calais (Pas-de-Calais).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jules Michel Marcel Shipman

    Born 1930 in Calais (Pas-de-Calais); died 1989 in Lys-lez-Lannoy (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Suzanne Raymonde Georgette Shipman

    Born 1904 in Calais; died 1978 in Calais (Pas-de-Calais).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Shipman in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Shipman name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eileen Florence Shipman

    Died 1994, aged 80; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Thomas Shipman

    Died 1939, aged 58; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Alexander Shipman

    Died 1994, aged 71; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Shipman name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Henry Shipman

    Died 1824 in Den Helder, aged 25.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Shipman.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Shipman is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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