Shortis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Shortis

What does the name Shortis mean?

The name Shortis is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a person who was given the nickname of Short-hose, due to the fact that this individual wore half hose which reached the top of the knee, rather than covering the whole leg. This nickname was given to Sir Thomas Woodcock, Lord Mayor of London in 1405 for this very reason.

Early Origins of the Shortis family

The surname Shortis was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Early History of the Shortis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shortis research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1505 is included under the topic Early Shortis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shortis Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Shortis has undergone many spelling variations, including Shorthouse, Shortus, Shorthose, Shortis and others.

Early Notables of the Shortis family

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

Shortis migration to Canada +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Shortis were among those contributors:

Shortis Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Michael Shortis, who settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland in 1845 1

Sources +

Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0