Shaffer Family History, Genealogy & Ancestry

The Shaffer Family

7,399 Shaffer records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

7,399Records in our database

1803Earliest birth

3Documented families

4Biographies

See the Shaffer family trees →444 Shaffer families pieced together from public birth and death records, county histories and old newspapers

At a glance

7,399 Shaffer records in our database

From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.

Where

fewer more

When they were born

Most records: Ohio (2,753 of 7,399)
Most common birth decade: the 1910s
Earliest birth in the database: Grover Shaffer, born 1848, Ohio
Earliest in the county histories: Samuel Shaffer, born 1803

Most common first names

John182 William171 Mary162 Robert153 Charles125 James106 George94 Harold89 Helen81 Donald78 Harry77 Paul77

Documented families

Shaffer families we have traced

Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

Family histories, generation by generation (1)

The Shaffer family of Stark CountyOhioStarts: Samuel Shaffer (b. 1803)Most recent: Isaac Shaffer (b. 1845)

Family records from county histories (2)

Moses ShafferWayne County, OhioStarts: Jacob ShafferMost recent: Adelaide M. Shaffer Sarah Catherine Shaffer 1824 to 1875Tuscarawas County, OhioStarts: Sarah Catherine Shaffer (b. 1824)Most recent: Oliver A. Gray, Etelia Susan Gray, Sarah Jane Gray

The earliest Shaffers in the county histories

Samuel ShafferBorn 1803Stark County, Ohio George ShafferBorn 1815Crawford County, Ohio William ShafferBorn 1819Keokuk County, Iowa Jacob ShafferBorn 1828Stark County, Ohio Henry ShafferBorn 1834Stark County, Ohio Francis M. ShafferBorn 1834Child of Samuel Shaffer and Ruth (Croghan) ShafferVan Wert County, Ohio

Family trees from the public record

444 Shaffer families: parents, brothers and sistersFrom state birth and death indexes, county histories and old newspapers, most recent deaths first

In old newspapers

25 Shaffer death notices, 1837 to 1925Obituaries and funeral notices from Midwest papers scanned by the Library of Congress, with the original pages

In the county history family index

41 Shaffer people in 30 countiesBirth years, birthplaces, parents and spouses, from the old county histories

Biographies from the county histories (4)

Samuel ShafferBorn 1803 · Stark County, Ohio Jacob ShafferBorn 1828 · Stark County, Ohio Henry ShafferBorn 1834 · Stark County, Ohio William ShafferBorn 1839 · Stark County, Ohio

Done-for-you research

Trace your documented Shaffer family

Found your Shaffer? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Shaffer genealogy: FAQ

Where were Shaffer ancestors recorded?

Our database holds 7,399 Shaffer records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Ohio (2,753), then Missouri (955) and Indiana (708).

How far back does the Shaffer family tree go?

The earliest Shaffer birth in our database is 1848: Grover Shaffer, Ohio. The old county histories name Samuel Shaffer, born 1803. We have pieced together 444 Shaffer family trees from public birth and death records.

Are living Shaffer family members listed here?

Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.

Is this my Shaffer family?

Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.