Shurt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Shurt is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a person who because of their physical characteristics was named short. In this case the surname Shurt can be traced back to the Old English word sceort which means short. The original bearer would have been known as the short one, because of his low stature. As height is one of the most easily distinguished features of a person, names derived from this aspect of a person's physique are by no means rare.

Early Origins of the Shurt family

The surname Shurt was first found in Dorset where one of the first records of the name was Ordic Scort who was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. Other early records include Richard le Sorte who was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1269 in Somerset and William Short who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex of 1327. 1 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list William Short in Suffolk. 2

Early History of the Shurt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shurt research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1603, 1635, 1668, 1675, 1685, 1690, 1772 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Shurt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shurt Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Shurt were recorded, including Short, Shorte, Shortt, Schorte and others.

Early Notables of the Shurt family

Distinguished members of the family include Peter Short (died 1603), a London printer who printed several first editions and early texts of Shakespeare's works. Thomas Short (1635-1685), was an English physician, son of the Rev. William Short, born at Easton, Suffolk. He settled in London and was...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shurt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Shurt family to Ireland

Some of the Shurt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 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 Shurt family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Shurt family emigrate to North America: John Short, who came to the Jamestown settlement in Virginia in 1606; Henry Short who settled in Massachusetts in 1634; Marmaduke Short, who arrived in Virginia in 1668.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)