Surname Shardelowe - Meaning and Origin

Shardelowe: What does the surname Shardelowe mean?

The last name Shardelowe is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "sceardel", which meant a woody dell or valley, and "hlaw", meaning a small hill. Thus, it is believed that the name originated from a place in England that was located in a woody valley or a hilly area.

Although the exact place and time when the surname first appeared is unknown, it is thought that the Earliest recorded mention of the name was in 1208, in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire. The name Shardelowe only started to be used in the 17th century, and was mostly found in the counties of Essex, Warwickshire, and Oxfordshire.

Subsequently, the Shardelowe surname spread to other parts of the world, such as North America in the 19th century, during times of increased economic and social pressures in their home countries. As a result of the immigration of the Shardelowe family, the last name became known in areas outside of England, such as Canada, the United States, and Australia.

In summary, the surname Shardelowe is believed to have originated from a place name in England that described a woody valley or a hilly area. The name can be traced to the earliests of records from 1208 and started to be used in the 17th century in the English counties of Essex, Warwickshire, and Oxfordshire. It has since spread to other parts of the world due to immigration of the Shardelowe family.

Shardelowe: Where does the name Shardelowe come from?

The Shardelowe surname is derived from the Old English name Shyrdel, which means "shepherd". The Shardelowe name is found primarily in the UK, with several hundred individuals carrying it, though the number of families is much smaller. It is most commonly found in England, particularly in the Midlands and Lancashire regions, but is also present in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. There are also a few Shardelowes in other Commonwealth countries, such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In the United States, the surname is less common and is found mostly in the states of Virginia, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

The earliest recorded reference to the Shardelowe name in England is in the 11th century Doomsday survey of 1086. The name then was associated with several places in the Midlands, including a now-vanished area near Dudley called “Shardelow”, a town near Manchester called Shardlow, and a village in Derbyshire called Shardlow. From these, the surname is thought to have been derived.

Today, Shardelowes have spread far from their roots in England and can be found all over the world. Despite its long history and somewhat limited distribution, it is still seen as a fairly common surname. The eighth Annual Border Count of 2010 listed the Shardelowe surname as 213th among Britain’s most common surnames. The name is also popular in other countries, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname Shardelowe

The Shardelowe surname has two main variants – Shardlow and Shardelow.

Shardlow is the most common spelling of the name Shardelowe, but other variants include Shardeloe, Sharaldow, Shardlowe, Shardellow, Sharadowe, Sharodlowe, Shardlo and Shardelow.

Surnames of the same origin are Shard, Sharolt, Sharalt, Sharrold and Sharroldt. All of these names are derived from the Old English words meaning “forester” or “woodcutter”. The name Shardelowe itself likely originated from the area that was once known as ‘Shardelowet’, which was historically situated close to the Long Moor in England.

In terms of spellings, Shardelowe is most commonly found in the Midlands, parts of the West Midlands, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, and parts of Scotland. However, Shardlow is more commonly found in the North and North West of England.

Other surnames that share the same origin include Shardley, Shardlowe, Sharrold and Sharrod. These names also have variants such as Sharrol, Shardnell and Sharrald. This suggests that these surnames were likely derived from a common ancestor in the Middle Ages.

Overall, the Shardelowe surname has many variants, spellings and other surnames that share the same origin. The history of the surname suggests that it likely originated from the area that was once known as ‘Shardelowet’ and is most commonly found in the Midlands and the North and West of England.

Famous people with the name Shardelowe

• George Reed Shardelowe: An English professional Archer, who won 2 Gold medals and a Bronze medal at the 1930 British Empire Games.
• Alexander Shardelowe: A British actor, best known for his roles on BBC's 1950s television series "The Adventures of Robin Hood".
• Dave Shardelowe: An Australian Country Music singer and songwriter, who had a #1 single "She's a Fire" in 2004.
• Mandy Shardelowe: An English actress who starred in the long-running television series "Minder".
• Ben Shardelowe: An award-winning Canadian documentary filmmaker, whose films have been showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival.
• Sarah Shardelowe: An English theater actor, who has appeared in multiple West End Productions, including Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera.
• George William Shardelowe: A British Lieutenant-Colonel, who helped draft the Land Forces Act of 1906.
• Barnabe Shardelowe: A British dramatist, best remembered for his trilogy of historical plays about the reign of King Richard III.
• Marcus Shardelowe: A British entertainer, best known for his appearances in the long-running television show Opportunity Knocks.
• Robin Shardelowe: An English scientist, who was the lead researcher on the ATLAS experiment aboard the International Space Station.

Other surnames

Shardelow