Surname Shearwood - Meaning and Origin
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Shearwood: What does the surname Shearwood mean?
The last name Shearwood is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English words 'scyr', meaning 'bright', and 'wudu', meaning 'wood'. As such, Shearwood can be taken to mean 'bright wood'. It may have been originally a descriptive name for someone who lived in an area of bright woodlands, or someone who was associated with woodworking; using light to work and shape the wood.
Shearwood may also have been an occupational surname used to denote a woodcarver, or possibly a forester who was in charge of keeping a woodland in good condition for hunting or timber-cutting.
The name is found mainly in the south and midlands of England. As one of the oldest recorded surnames in the English language, Shearwood can also occasionally be found in other English-speaking countries where family members have emigrated, as well as within the ancient diaspora of Scots and Irish who originally settled in the United States. It is mainly found concentrated in the Cheshire, Lancashire, and North Yorkshire areas of the UK today.
Due to its age, the name Shearwood has many associated coats of arms, each of which carry different insignias and heraldic devices to help identify the branch of the family tree from which a bearer of the name resided. These emblems, or blazons, can provide a clue to the origin and family tree of those who bear the name Shearwood.
Order DNA origin analysisShearwood: Where does the name Shearwood come from?
The last name Shearwood is most commonly found in the United Kingdom. This name originated in England and is derived from Old English words meaning ‘scythe-guard’ or ‘scythe-woods’. It is an occupational name, likely for someone who lived in or near a wood where scythes were kept safe.
The Shearwood name is concentrated most heavily in the south of England, particularly in the counties of London, Berkshire, Surrey, Sussex, and Kent. Shearwood remains a fairly rare name even in Great Britain, with only just over 400 people in England alone having the surname in 2019.
Outside of the UK, Shearwood is almost exclusively concentrated in the United States. Within the United States, Shearwoods tend to live mostly in and around the Midwest, the East Coast, and California, mostly in urban areas. Shearwood remains a relatively uncommon name in the US, with even the highest concentration of the name having less than 1,000 people.
Variations of the surname Shearwood
The surname Shearwood is a unique surname with a few variants and spellings, but all with the same origin.
The most common variant of the surname is Shearwood, but other spellings include Shearwoode, Shearward, Sheerwood, Sherewood and Sheerwoode.
When looking further into this surname's origin, it is found to be an anglicized form of the German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname Schreiber, which means “clerk” or “scribe”. This was in reference to a person who was employed in a court or government office or a person who was in charge of maintaining records.
The Scottish variant of this name is Sharwood and the English variant is Sherwood. Both of these spellings could have been derived from the Old English “scer” or “scear” meaning “wood” with the suffix “wood” being added to denote a person who lived near or worked in a wooded area.
Apart from the various spelling variants of this surname, there are also other variant forms such as Sherwoode, Sharwood, Sherward, Schewerd, Shearword, Sherwarde, Shereward, Sharewar, Shererward, Shererword, Sherwarder and Scherward.
Overall, the surname Shearwood is of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) origin and other spelling variants include Shearwoode, Shearward, Sheerwood, Sherewood and Sheerwoode. Variants of this surname are derived from Middle English, Old English and Scots words. Scottish variations of this surname are Sharwood and Sherwood and other variants include Sherwoode, Sharwood, Sherward, Schewerd, Shearword, Sherwarde, Shereward, Sharewar, Shererward, Shererword, Sherwarder and Scherward.
Famous people with the name Shearwood
- Michael Shearwood: British fashion designer
- Colin Shearwood: British actor
- Jerry Shearwood: Retired USAF colonel
- Charlie Shearwood: British Formula 1 racer
- Joanne Shearwood: British model
- Cade Shearwood: Canadian stuntman
- Karen Shearwood: British sculptor
- Stephanie Shearwood: British writer and interior designer
- Pierre Shearwood: French entomologist
- Chris Shearwood: British composer