Show ContentsSides History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Sides family

The surname Sides was first found in Fife, Angus, Perth and Moray. The family held a family seat in Fife from about the 12th century, having being connected also to the Abbey of Dunfermline. The family were also vassals to the Earls of Fife. One of the first entries for the family was "Richard de Sudy [who] witnessed the homage of Duncan, Earl of Fife, to the Abbot of Dunfermline, 1316." 1

During the 17th century and the religious problems in Scotland, a branch of the family migrated south into England to Bures St. Mary, or Mount Bures which both straddle the Suffolk, Essex border. It was here that the family recorded their coat of arms.

Early History of the Sides family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sides research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1316, 1574, 1627 and 1842 are included under the topic Early Sides History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sides Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Sidey, Sydey, Sidy, Sydy, Sudy, Syddie, Siddie, Siddy, Syd, Side and many more.

Early Notables of the Sides family

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

Sides Ranking

the United States, the name Sides is the 4,411st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Sides family to Ireland

Some of the Sides family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Sides migration to the United States +



Sides Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Sides, who landed in Virginia in 1623 3
  • Peter Sides, who landed in Maryland in 1661 3
Sides Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Hendrick Sides, aged 26, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1738 3
  • John Henrick Sides, aged 26, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 3
  • Hendry Sides, who arrived in North Carolina in 1748 3
  • Samuel Sides, who arrived in America in 1794 3

Sides migration to Australia +

Sides Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Richard Sides, (1776 - 1844), aged 20, British blacksmith who was convicted in Warwickshire, England for 14 years for handling stolen goods, transported aboard the "Ganges" on 31st July 1796, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Sides (post 1700) +

  • Billie Sides (b. 1973), American professional baseball player
  • Shawn Sides, American voice actress
  • Admiral John Harold Sides (1904-1978), Commander in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet from 1960 to 1963
  • Hampton Sides (b. 1962), American historian and journalist, twice nominated for National Magazine Awards
  • M. L. Sides, American Republican politician, Chair of Hoke County Republican Party, 1952 5
  • John G. Sides, American politician, Mayor of Salem, North Carolina, 1863-64 6
  • James Sides, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1980 6
  • Jack K. Sides, American politician, Mayor of Cullman, Alabama, 1984-88, 1992-2000 6
  • H. H. Sides, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1960 6


  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. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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