Shave History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Italy
Scotland

Shave was first used as a surname among the descendants of the ancient Scottish people known as the Picts. It was a name for a person who shared some of the qualities attributed to a wolf. Shave is a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Shave is derived from the Gaelic first name Sithech, which means wolf.

Early Origins of the Shave family

The surname Shave was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where the family appears to have been firmly entrenched in the Eastern coastal regions well before 1000 AD.

While some claim that the Clan originally descended from a MacDuff, one of the ancient Earls of Fife, the first official mention in documents shows them to be present at the General Council held by King Malcolm at Forfar in 1061.

However, this ancient leadership was challenged by many other Clans Commyns (Cummings) who had leased the Shaw lands of Rothiemurchus.

Early History of the Shave family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shave research. Another 369 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1178, 1226, 1405, 1411, 1527, 1550, 1602, 1608, 1625, 1672, 1692, 1751, 1774, 1776, 1799, 1804, 1826, 1832, 1849, 1876 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Shave History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shave Spelling Variations

Repeated and inaccurate translation of Scottish names from Gaelic to English and back resulted in a wide variety of spelling variations with single names. Shave has appeared Shaw, Shawe, Mac Ghille-Sheathanaich (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Shave family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Robert Shaw (died 1527), Scottish cluniac monk and prelate; William Schawe (1550-1602), Scottish architect, probably a younger son of Schaw of Sauchie; John Shawe or Shaw (1608-1672), an English puritan minister from Yorkshire...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shave Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Shave family to Ireland

Some of the Shave family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shave migration to the United States +

Many Scottish families suffered enormous hardships and were compelled to leave their country of birth. They traveled to Ireland and Australia, but mostly to the colonies of North America, where many found the freedom and opportunity they sought. It was not without a fight, though, as many were forced to stand up and defend their freedom in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of these Scots abroad have rediscovered their heritage in the last century through the Clan societies and other organizations that have sprung up across North America. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name Shave:

Shave Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Shave, who arrived in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1637

Shave Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Valentine Shave, who settled in Philadelphia in 1739

Shave 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:

Shave Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Alfred Shave, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Pegasus" in 1865

Contemporary Notables of the name Shave (post 1700) +

Jonathan Taylor Shave (1967-1993), American Major League infielder who played from 1993 to 1999
Lionel Kenneth Osborn Shave OBE (1916-2009), Australian soldier, businessman, benefactor and patron of the arts
Justin George Shave (b. 1973), better known as Shave, an Australian music producer and composer