Sherriffs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Sherriffs

What does the name Sherriffs mean?

The ancient name of Sherriffs finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a person who held the office of sheriff. This occupational surname was originally derived from the Old English words scir meaning shire and refa meaning reeve. The surname was originally derived from the "shire-reeve," a Vice Count who was in charge of the law for a shire or county. 1 Before the Norman Conquest the sheriff was the king's representative in a county, responsible for every aspect of local administration in England.

Early Origins of the Sherriffs family

The surname Sherriffs was first found in Warwickshire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Sherriffs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sherriffs research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1567 is included under the topic Early Sherriffs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sherriffs Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Sherriffs family name include Sheriff, Sherrif, Sherriff, Shirreffs, Sheriffs and many more.

Early Notables of the Sherriffs family

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

Migration of the Sherriffs family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Sherriffs surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Richard Sherife, who came to Virginia in 1619; Lewis and Peter Sherive, who settled in Nevis in 1663; William Sheriff, who settled in Boston in 1716; Thomas Sheriffs, who settled in Virginia in 1649.

The Sherriffs 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: Esse quam videri
Motto Translation: To be, rather than to seem.

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.