Show ContentsShilling History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Shilling comes from the Rhineland, an ancient region of Germany. In pre-medieval times, the Germans used only one name, but later they were forced by a growing population to adopt hereditary surnames; so as to remain distinct from the many others of the same first name. Local names were often chosen. They originally indicated land ownership, and frequently carried the prefix von, meaning "of" or "from," which is often taken as an indication of aristocratic lineage. Shilling was a name for some one lived in the lower Rhineland region.

Early Origins of the Shilling family

The surname Shilling was first found in the lower Rhine region, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region, mentioned in archives as early as 1194, where the family had its seat in Saxony-Anhalt, in the district of Potsdam. From the 13th century on the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Shilling family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shilling research. Another 180 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1194, 1276, 1624, 1637 and 1781 are included under the topic Early Shilling History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shilling Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Shilling include Schilling, Schillings, Schillinger and others.

Early Notables of the Shilling family

Notables with the name Shilling during this period were Raphael Schilling auf Schillingshof, who began as a royal chamberlain and later became a major general in the Russian army. He was made a count in 1781...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shilling Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shilling Ranking

In the United States, the name Shilling is the 6,729th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]


United States Shilling migration to the United States +

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Shilling were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Shilling Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Geo Shilling, who landed in Virginia in 1712 [2]
  • Peter Shilling, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "Adventurer John Davies" [2]
  • Margarite Shilling, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 [2]
  • Johan Shilling, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 [2]
  • Folse Shilling, who arrived in Mississippi in 1799 [2]
Shilling Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Shilling, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1830 [2]
  • Jacob Shilling, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 [2]
  • Christian Shilling, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 [2]
  • Matthias Shilling, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 [2]
  • Nicholas Shilling, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Shilling migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Shilling Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Shilling, English convict who was convicted in Maidstone, Kent, England for 20 years, transported aboard the "Edwin Fox" on 24th August 1858, arriving in Western Australia, Australia

New Zealand Shilling migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Shilling Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Shilling, aged 28, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" in 1850
  • Henry Shilling, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Empress" in 1865
  • Mr. Robert Shilling, (b. 1861), aged 18, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 [3]
  • Mr. Walter Shilling, (b. 1859), aged 20, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Shilling (post 1700) +

  • Beatrice "Tilly" Shilling OBE (1909-1990), English aeronautical engineer who corrected a serious defect in the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine during the Second World War
  • Jodi Shilling (b. 1979), American actress, best known for her role as Tiffany on the Disney Channel Original Series That's So Raven
  • James Robert Shilling (1914-1986), American Major League Baseball second baseman
  • Capt. Charles Wesley Shilling USN (1901-1994), American physician, leader in the field of undersea and hyperbaric medicine, research, and education, eponym of the Charles W. Shilling Library
  • Marion Shilling (1910-2004), born Marion Schilling, an American film actress of the 1930s
  • Jennifer Shilling (b. 1969), American politician, Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 32nd district (2011)
  • Carroll Hugh Shilling (1885-1950), American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey
  • Robert Shilling, American politician, Representative from Pennsylvania 24th District, 1970 [4]
  • Jennifer Shilling, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 2004 [4]
  • Harry Shilling, American politician, Mayor of Canton, Ohio, 1912-13 [4]
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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