Show ContentsShier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Shier family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the Norman name Essira which is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. [1] [2] Additionally, the name is derived from the Old English "scir", meaning "fair, bright." [3] [4]

Early Origins of the Shier family

The surname Shier was first found in Surrey where they held a family seat from ancient times being Lords of the Manor of Shere recorded in the Domesday Book Survey taken in 1086 A.D. as being 'King's Land' and consisting of a church and mills. [5]

The original name of the village of Shere was 'Essira' and it may be taken that this was also the original spelling of the surname, taken from an unknown Norman noble who entered into England with William the Conqueror in 1066.

However, we must look to Berkshire to find the first entry of the family, that of Walter Leschir who was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1193. Later, Reginald le Scher was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire in 1327. [6]

Early History of the Shier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shier research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1614, 1666, 1668, 1685, 1710, 1716, 1766 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Shier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shier Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Shere, Sheres, Shear, Shears, Sheares, Sheare, Sheares, Sheer, Sheers, Sheere, Sheeres, Shire, Shires, Shiers, Shier, Shiere, Sheir, Sheirs, Sheire and many more.

Early Notables of the Shier family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Henry Sheeres (died 1710), English military engineer and author, was son of Henry Sheeres of Deptford, a captain in the Navy. "In 1666 he accompanied Edward Montagu, first Earl of Sandwich, the English ambassador, to Spain...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shier Ranking

In the United States, the name Shier is the 17,993rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [7]

Ireland Migration of the Shier family to Ireland

Some of the Shier family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Shier migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Shier or a variant listed above:

Shier Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Rudolph Shier, aged 31, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name Shier (post 1700) +

  • D. Shier, American politician, Newspaperman; Delegate to Socialist National Convention from Minnesota, 1920 [9]
  • Charles Shier, American politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Washtenaw County 1st District, 1855-56, 1865-66, 1869-70 [9]


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. 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)
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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