Surname Shoulder - Meaning and Origin

Shoulder: What does the surname Shoulder mean?

The surname Shoulder is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English term "sceolder" meaning a shield or guard. This term corresponds with the ancient role of a person who bore the responsibility or duty of protecting others, such as a warrior or guardian. It could also have been used to denote a person who made shields for a living, which would categorize the name Shoulder as an occupational surname. Over the years, variations of this surname such as Scouler, Scoulder, and Shouldham have arisen. Surnames like Shoulder can provide insight into ancient familial trade professions, social status, or even characteristic traits. However, it's important to note that the meaning of a surname can vary significantly based on geographical locations and historical contexts.

Shoulder: Where does the name Shoulder come from?

The Shoulder surname can be found across many countries throughout the world including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

In the United States, the Shoulder family name was first mentioned in the mid-1700s in Virginia. Immigration records show that a number of Shoulders arrived in the United States from Scotland in the late 1700s. The Shoulders then spread across America to the Midwest and West Coast. California and Texas currently have the highest number of Shoulder households in the United States.

In the United Kingdom historical records show that the Shoulder family arrived from Scotland in the mid-1600s. The family spread throughout England and Wales. Today the Shoulders are most common in Lancashire, Surrey, and Oxfordshire.

In Canada, the Shoulder family can be traced back to immigration from Scotland in the late 1600s. Since then, the Shoulder family has spread across the country. The provinces of Quebec and Ontario have the most Shoulder households currently.

In Australia, immigration records suggest that the Shoulder family arrived in the late 1800s from the United Kingdom and Scotland. Since then, the Shoulder surname can be found in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.

Overall, the Shoulder surname is widespread throughout many countries and provinces around the world.

Variations of the surname Shoulder

The Shoulder surname has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Among them are Shoolders (ShooldersHull), Sholders, Shouler, Schulder, Schouler, Schultheiss (SchultheissLang), Schulte, Schult, Schulters, Schoullers and Schulen.

Shoulder is of Germanic origin, referring to a person who was a ‘guard’ or ‘sentinel’, which can be found in old documents where the word ‘schaill’ translates to mean ‘guard’ or ‘sentinel’.

The surname was first used during the medieval period, as guards (or sentinels) were important to protect rulers and castles. Through the centuries, the spelling of the surname varied; in some cases it was adapted for Anglo-Saxon needs and, in others, to reflect the regional dialect of the surname bearer’s homeland.

In England, Sholders and Schouller are the most common variations of the Shoulder surname. In Scotland, Shoule and Schoule are the most popular. While in Switzerland, Schulen and Schultheiss are the most popular variants.

When referring to specific regions, Shoulder is an English surname, while Shoolders is the Scottish international version and Schultheiss is the Swiss international form.

Overall, the Shoulder surname is said to have over 200 different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.

Famous people with the name Shoulder

• Peter Shoulder: British singer-songwriter
• James Shoulder: former Welsh professional cricketer
• John Shoulder: former English professional footballer
• Ken Shoulder: Scottish professional footballer
• Frank Shoulder: Australian test cricket umpire
• Sammy Shoulder: English professional boxer
• Jimmy Shoulder: Actor and musician
• Dave Shoulder: British entrepreneur and businessman
• Robert Shoulder: American former politician
• William Shoulder: Canadian decorated World War II officer and pilot

Other surnames

Shoulders