Shaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The clans of the Pictish people in ancient Scotland were the ancestors of the first people to use the name Shaw. It was a name for a person who shared some of the qualities attributed to a wolf. Shaw 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 Shaw is derived from the Gaelic first name Sithech, which means wolf.

Early Origins of the Shaw family

The surname Shaw 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 Shaw family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shaw 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 Shaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shaw Spelling Variations

In the Middle ages, spelling and translation were not yet regulated by any general rules. spelling variations in names were common even among members of one family unit. Shaw has appeared Shaw, Shawe, Mac Ghille-Sheathanaich (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Shaw family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Shaw World Ranking

In the United States, the name Shaw is the 144th most popular surname with an estimated 161,655 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Shaw is ranked the 132nd most popular surname with an estimated 24,239 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Shaw is the 91st popular surname with an estimated 26,811 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Shaw as 65th with 4,945 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Shaw as 56th with 74,924 people. 5

Migration of the Shaw family to Ireland

Some of the Shaw 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.


Shaw migration to the United States +

Faced by this persecution and the generally unstable political climate of those days, many Scots chose to leave their homeland for Ireland, Australia, and North America in search of greater opportunity and freedom. The colonies across the Atlantic were the most popular choice, but a passage there was neither cheap nor easily suffered. Passengers arrived sick and poor, but those who made it intact often found land and more tolerant societies in which to live. These brave settlers formed the backbone of the burgeoning nations of Canada and the United States. It is only this century that the ancestors of these families have begun to recover their collective identity through the patriotic highland games and Clan societies that have sprung up throughout North America. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Shaw:

Shaw Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Shaw Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Shaw Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Shaw migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shaw Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Shaw Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Shaw migration to Australia +

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

Shaw Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Shaw 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:

Shaw Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Shaw (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Shaw +
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