A thin-film magnetic head having an MR element in which the tolerance of external magnetic field is improved even under the condition that shields have smaller areas. The head includes: an MR element includes lower and upper shield layers provided so as to sandwich an MR multilayer, one of edges of each of the layers reaching a head end surface on an ABS side; and an electromagnetic transducer including main and auxiliary magnetic pole layers, one of edges of each of the layers reaching the head end surface, wherein at least one laminate shield layer for tolerating an external magnetic field is provided adjacently on one side or on both sides in a track width direction of at least one layer out of the upper and lower shield layers and the auxiliary magnetic pole layer, and one edge of the at least one laminate shield layer reaching the head end surface.