Show ContentsShillings History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Shillings 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 others using the same personal (first) name. Local names derived from place 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. Shillings was a name for some one lived in the lower Rhineland region.

Early Origins of the Shillings family

The surname Shillings 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 Shillings family

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

Shillings 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 Shillings include Schilling, Schillings, Schillinger and others.

Early Notables of the Shillings family

Notables with the name Shillings 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 Shillings Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shillings Ranking

In the United States, the name Shillings is the 17,559th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Migration of the Shillings family

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 Shillings were among of the early German families that came to North America: Hans Adam Schilling, who came to Philadelphia in 1732; as well as Johann Martin Schilling in the same year, Johannes Schilling in 1749; and Martin Schillinger in 1752. Carl Christian Schilling arrived in Penobscot, Maine in 1782.



  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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