Show ContentsCheapside History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Cheapside

What does the name Cheapside mean?

The name Cheapside is generally thought to have been a nickname for someone who had badly formed legs 1 or was bowlegged. 2

Early Origins of the Cheapside family

The surname Cheapside was first found in the Inverness area of Scotland where Thomas Scheipschank was juror on an inquest made at St. Katherine's Chapel, Bauelay in 1280. 3

Apparently the name was also fairly common in Yorkshire, England as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included entries for Alicia Shepshank, chapman; and Willelmus Schepschank. 4

In Norfolk, we found William Shepescanke in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1224. 5

Early History of the Cheapside family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cheapside research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the year 1208 is included under the topic Early Cheapside History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cheapside Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Sheepshanks, Sheephanks, Sheepshank, Sheephank, Sheipshanks and many more.

Early Notables of the Cheapside family

More information is included under the topic Early Cheapside Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cheapside family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: William Sheepshanks arrived in Philadelphia in 1806.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. 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)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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