Shefield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Shefield

What does the name Shefield mean?

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Shefield surname lived in the town of Sheffield in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 The surname Shefield is a habitation name which was originally derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. In this case the place-name Sheffield means open land by the River Sheaf, 2 a boundary river dividing Yorkshire from Derbyshire. 3

The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was originally recorded as Scafeld. 4

Early Origins of the Shefield family

The surname Shefield was first found in Staffordshire where William de Shefeld was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1227. Years later, Thomas de Sheffeld was found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1328 and in Oxfordshire, Ralph Sheffeld was recorded at Goring in 1456. 1

Back in Yorkshire, early records there show Will'us de Sheffeld in the Charter Rolls of 1307-1308. 2 Later, Johannes de Schefeld was recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 5

Early History of the Shefield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shefield research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1407, 1421, 1521, 1538, 1549, 1564, 1568, 1588, 1601, 1611, 1614, 1624, 1626, 1646, 1648, 1658, 1685, 1689, 1702, 1705 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Shefield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shefield Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Shefield are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Shefield include: Sheffield, Shefield, Sheffeild, Shiffield and many more.

Early Notables of the Shefield family

William Sheffield (fl. 1407-1421) English politician, Member of Parliament for Rutland; William Sheffield (died 1646), Member of Parliament for Hedon in 1614 and Thirsk in 1624; Edmund Sheffield (1521-1549), English nobleman, 1st Baron Sheffield of Butterwick; John Sheffield (c. 1538-1568), 2nd Baron Sheffield of Butterwick; Edmund Sheffield, 3rd Baron Sheffield (c. 1564-1646), created Earl...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shefield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shefield migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Shefield or a variant listed above:

Shefield Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Shefield, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 6

The Shefield Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Comiter sed fortiter
Motto Translation: Courteously but firmly.

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)