Surname Shaw - Meaning and Origin

Shaw: What does the surname Shaw mean?

The surname Shaw is of Anglo-Saxon origin and it generally denotes a geographical or topographical feature of where the person lived. It is derived from the Old English word "sceaga," meaning "wood," "copse," or "thicket." Therefore, the name often signifies a dweller by the wood or thicket. Some of its earliest recorded instances date back to 1190, in the Pipe Rolls of Surrey, England, showing one Richard de la Schawe. The surname also has a variant in the Scottish Shaw, which comes from the Gaelic word "sithech," meaning "wolf." However, the English and Scottish origins are considered distinct due to differences in language and culture in those regions. With time, migratory movements have led to worldwide dispersion of this surname.

Shaw: Where does the name Shaw come from?

The last name Shaw is an Anglo-Irish surname that originated in the British Isles. It can be found in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, but has spread to other parts of the United Kingdom and the world. In North America, the Shaw surname is mostly concentrated in the United States and Canada. It is the 21st most common last name in the United States, and the 28th most common last name in Canada.

In England, the Shaw surname is mostly concentrated in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is also frequently found in the cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London. In Scotland, the Shaw surname is more common in the west side of the country, particularly Glasgow and Edinburgh. In Ireland, the Shaw last name is more common in the northern counties of Tyrone, Down, Fermanagh, and Derry.

The Shaw name is also commonly found in Australia and New Zealand, with a noticeable presence in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. Within the European Union, the Shaw name is especially common in Germany, France, Belgium, and The Netherlands. It is also found in South Africa and Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Variations of the surname Shaw

Shaw is a surname of English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh origin. It is derived from several different sources, including Old English, Celtic and Gaelic languages.

The most common variants of this surname are Sherman, Shireman, Shearman, and Sherrman. However, there are many others, such as Shawe, Shau, Shao, Shawana, Chevalier, Souliere, Shoebe, Ferron, and more. Interestingly, Shaw is also found as an abbreviated form of a variety of longer names, such as Shand, Shanahan, Shapiro, Shearer, Sharp, and Shaughnessy.

In Scotland, the name is often seen as Shade or Shaid, and in Ireland, it appears as O'Shaughnessy or O'Shaohnessy. In Wales, the spellings of this surname take a slightly different format, with variants such as Shone, Shorn, Shawe, and Shaith.

The less common versions of Shaw are found in countries such as Scotland, Ireland, and France, where the initial Sch- is used. In French, it may be seen as Château' or Schalle, and in Scotland, variants such as Shae, Chisholm, Schewan, and Sharpe are found.

In some cases, the spelling Shaw is used to conceal different forms of other names, such as Caswell or Chisholm. This is particularly common in America, where many immigrants Anglicized their names to make them easier to pronounce.

In conclusion, there are many variants and alternate spellings of the surname Shaw. It is important to remember that though these spellings may be different, they all have the same English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh roots.

Famous people with the name Shaw

• Ryan Shaw: American R&B singer
• George Bernard Shaw: Irish playwright
• Troy Shaw: American professional golfer
• AnnaSophia Robb: American Actress with Shaw as a middle name
• S.W. Shaw: American engineer
• Cindy Shaw: American model
• Danielle Shaw: British actress
• Robert Shaw: British actor
• Michael Shaw: Scottish actor
• Martin Shaw: English actor
• Patricia Shaw: American actress
• Candice Shaw: American figure skater
• Thomas Shaw: American painter
• Derek Shaw: English Media Composer
• Maria Shaw: American astrologer
• Scarlett Shaw: American singer
• Jack Shaw: American stuntman
• Lelia Shaw: American photographer
• Craig Shaw Gardner: American author
• Greg Shaw: American entrepreneur

Other surnames

ShaShaaraShableShackelfordShacklandShacklefordShacklesShackleyShaddenShaddixShaddockShaddoinShaddowShaddoxShadduckShaderShadickShadixShadoanShadockShadoinShadorShadowShadowenShadowensShadowynShadrixShadurShafeShafer