Show ContentsShivley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In ancient Scotland, Shivley was a Strathclyde-Briton name for someone who lived in the old barony in the parish of Tarves, Aberdeenshire. The name Shivley comes from Gaelic seamhas, meaning "a narrow place in a river."

Early Origins of the Shivley family

The surname Shivley was first found in Tarves, Aberdeenshire. Some of the earliest records of the family include: John Chivas, who had a safe conduct to study at Oxford in 1393, and William Shivas, who was a Physician and Astrologer, Archbishop of St. Andrews in 1477. Later, John Scheves was forgiven on a charge of murder in 1526. 1

William Schevez or Schives (died 1497) was "Archbishop of St. Andrews, is supposed to have descended from a family that adopted the name from the estate of Schevez in Aberdeenshire. One John de Schevez was clerk to James I in 1426, and may have been the patron through whose influence William Schevez was introduced to the court." 2

Early History of the Shivley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shivley research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1647, 1648, 1759, 1801, 1843 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Shivley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shivley Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Shivley has been spelled Shivas, Shives, Chivas, Shivis, Shivez, Shivers, Shevas and many more.

Early Notables of the Shivley family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shivley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Shivley family to Ireland

Some of the Shivley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Shivley family

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them: Samuel Shiva who was on record in Boston Massachusetts in 1651; Richard Shevers, who was in the records of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1694; James and Henry Shivers, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1847.


Contemporary Notables of the name Shivley (post 1700) +

  • Laura Shivley, American actress, known for her work on Blood Was Everywhere (2011) and The Doctor (2005)
  • Doug Shivley, American Atlanta Falcons Defensive Coordinator
  • W. Phillips Shivley, American Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota


The Shivley 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: Virtute non vi
Motto Translation: By virtue not by force.


  1. 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)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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