Shall Surname History

Origins Available:
Germany

The Shall family name comes from the from Middle High German word "schal," which means "noise," or "bragging," and as such is was thought to have originally been a nickname for a braggart, or for a market crier. The German people originally used only one name, but as the population grew there was often confusion between people of the same name. This required people to adopt hereditary surnames. Many people took surnames based on nicknames - sometimes known as eke-names - that described certain personal characteristics.

Early Origins of the Shall family

The surname Shall was first found in the ancient Rhineland, where this family name became associated with a notable aristocratic line of the city of Cologne. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation. Chronicles mention one Robert Schallo as early as 1150.

Early History of the Shall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shall research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1387, 1592, 1666, 1745 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Shall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shall Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Shall include Schall, Schaal, Schal, Schaell, Schael, Schalle, Schaller, Schallin and many more.

Early Notables of the Shall family

More information is included under the topic Early Shall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shall migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Shall, or one of its variants above:

Shall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Shall, who arrived in Maryland in 1659 1
Maria Shall, who landed in Maryland in 1659 1
Peter Shall, who landed in Maryland in 1659 1
Jane Shall, who landed in Virginia in 1664 1

Shall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Vitus Shall, aged 30, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 1
Nichs Shall, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 1
George Shall, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 1

Shall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Martin Shall, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1854 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Shall (post 1700) +

Jacob Shall Golladay (1819-1887), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Kentucky State House of Representatives, 1851-53; Member of Kentucky State Senate, 1853-55; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 3rd District, 1867-70 2

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html