Contents [hide]

Shorter History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Shorter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Soon after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the name Shorter was recognized on the island as a name for a stocky or short-necked person which was in turn derived from the Anglo-Saxon word scorkhals meaning a person with a short neck. 1

Early Origins of the Shorter family

The surname Shorter was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat from very early times being granted lands at Shotthaugh by William after the Conquest in 1066 A.D. Shorten is a variant of the well-known Shortall. (Woulfe)

Early History of the Shorter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shorter research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1326, 1503, 1505, 1507, 1509, 1535, 1639, 1641 and 1642 are included under the topic Early Shorter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shorter Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Shorter family name include Shorthalls, Shortals, Shortall, Shottall, Shottalls, Shortells, Shortell, Shorthill, Shotthaugh, Shotter and many more.

Early Notables of the Shorter family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Robert Shorton (died 1535), English divine, Archdeacon of Bath, one of the earliest scholars of Jesus College, Cambridge. He graduated M.A. in 1503, and was elected fellow of...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shorter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shorter Ranking

In the United States, the name Shorter is the 2,947^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Shorter family to Ireland

Some of the Shorter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 128 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shorter migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Shorter family to immigrate North America:

Shorter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jo Shorter, aged 26, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas & John" 3
Marie Shorter, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Assurance" 3
Mary Shorter, who landed in Virginia in 1638 3
John Shorter, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 3
Marie Shorter, 26, who arrived in Virginia in 1638
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Shorter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Shorter, aged 20, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1776 3
William Shorter, 20, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1776

Shorter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eliz Shorter, who arrived in America in 1830 3

Shorter migration to Australia +

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

Shorter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Shorter, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Trafalgar" 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Shorter (post 1700) +

Wayne Shorter (1933-2023), American jazz saxophonist and composer from Newark, New Jersey
James "Jim" Shorter (b. 1938), American NFL football defensive back
Eli Sims Shorter (1823-1879), American politician, U.S. Representative from Alabama
Alan Shorter (1932-1987), American free jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player, older brother of Wayne Shorter
John Gill Shorter (1818-1872), American Democratic Party politician, 17th Governor of Alabama
Wayne Shorter (b. 1933), American nine-time Grammy Award winning jazz composer and saxophonist
Frank Shorter (b. 1947), American athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Laurence Shorter (b. 1970), English author and comedian
Richard Nicholas Shorter (1906-1984), English cricketer
Clement King Shorter (1857-1926), British journalist and literary critic
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Shorter family +

Flight TWA 800

Mrs. Ana Maria Shorter (d. 1996), (d. 1996), from Los Angeles, California, USA, American wife to Wayne Shorter Jazz saxophonist traveling with niece Dalila Lucien flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 5

The Shorter Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Certavi et vici
Motto Translation: I have fought and conquered.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TRAFALGAR 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Trafalgar-March.htm
The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm