| | Our Surnames Sa to Si
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SAGAR, SEGAR.
Probably an old Scandinavian given name meaning: “Sea-spear”,
although there has been a suggestion that it might mean “sawyer”. The name
is recorded in the Domesday Book but not before. Records indicate that other
immigrants of the name arrived from the Low Countries at various times.
The name is particularly associated with Lancashire around Whalley, Burnley
& Colne. Various SAGARs and SEGARs have distinguished themselves
sufficiently to be granted Arms; the motto (As SAGAR-MUSGROVE) is “Valde et
sapienter” – Strongly and Wisely.
(ONS) sagar@one-name.org
Mr J H Sagar
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SALES. Most probably a dweller by the willow trees (Salix). In recent times, at
least, SALE and SALES are completely different families.
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SANDERS, SANDERSON. The children of ALEXANDER, which comes from the Greek and
means “defender of men”. As a given name, Alexander (pet form Sandy) has
particular affinity with Scotland, having been introduced by Queen (Saint)
Margaret, wife of King Malcolm Ceanmore (1057-1093) who brought it from the
Hungarian court. Her son was the first of three Alexanders who were very
successful Kings of Scots and, one assumes, the reason for the adoption of the
name as a surname.
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SARGINSON. The sergeant’s son.
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SAUL. (ONS). The name comes from the Biblical
name. Quite rare in mediaeval times.
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SCHOFIELD. From Old Norse and Old
English: "Field with a Hut". Said to be more common as a Lancashire
name.
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SCHOLICK, SCOLLICK. A Scoloc or Scolog was a sort of tenant of a
monastery in the Mediaeval Celtic Church. As our researcher reports a probable
Scottish origin, this seems a likely explanation.
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SCHRAMM. No data yet available.
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SCOTT In
a North Pennine or Borders context, this means someone from Scotland, not
necessarily with a Gaelic ancestry. The greatest incursion of SCOTTs into
Northern and Eastern England is thought to have been during the 12th
C reign of David I of Scotland who was also Earl of Huntingdon, and whose
retainers found agreeable settlements during the journeys
between his lands. (ONS).
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SEATREE. The surname SEATREE can be traced back around Alston and Skelton
from1586 to the present day. The name is believed to have arrived in our area
via Scotland, being an Anglicisation of the Old Gaelic surname MacSITHIGH, from
the adjective "Sitheach" relating to eerie and mysterious (Other
“faerie” names in our list include ELLIOTT and ALDRICH). Oddly, Black
(Surnames of Scotland) does not mention the name or its variants (e.g. SHEEHY,
MACSHEEHY and SHEACH) since a certain SITACH, a Culdee of Mothel, was witness to
a charter by the Bishop of Dunblane in 1178. The name is more widespread in
Ireland, perhaps, where it was probably first established by a branch of the
McDonnell's in the fourteenth century who served as "Gallowglasses"
(heavily armed mercenary soldiers). The clan named Sheehy settled in Limerick in
1420 where they took service with the Earl of Desmond, near the town of
Rathkeale. One of their famous chiefs Manus ne Cleggan Mcsheechy is on record as
a "Gallowglass Captain" who received "Head Money" for the
head of one MacClancey. The most spectacular and colourful of their military
engagements occurred when they took part in the sacking of Kilmalloch in 1591,
when, with the Mac Sweeneys, it took three days to remove the treasures of the
town. A notable bearer of the name was Father Nicholas Sheehy (1728-1766), who
was hanged for an alleged murder of which he was innocent.
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SEEFELD. No data yet available.
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SELBY.
From Selby in Yorkshire.
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SEWELL. At least three different names have merged into SEWELL since the Middle
Ages. It may be possible, with luck, to find which gave rise to the North
Pennine example. It is either from one of several southern English place names
meaning “seven springs”, e.g. Sewell in Bedfordshire, or from Old English Sigeweald,
“victory ruler”, or Sæweald “sea
power”.
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SHACKLOCK. (ONS). Perhaps a nickname for one who
habitually shook his long hair from his face or, more prosaically, a gaoler who
rattled the doors of his captors, or kept them in fetters (Middle English schaklock).
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SHAFTO, SHAFTOE. From Shaftoe in Northumberland (Shaftoe Grange NZ0482) and
famed in the folk song “Bobby Shaftoe”. In the early 20th
Century, the heir to that name lived at Whitworth Hall near Spennymoor, Co.
Durham, which is now an upmarket country-house hotel. (Landranger Sheet 93, Grid
Ref. NZ 236 348) (ONS). shafto@one-name.org
(Miss V Shafto)
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SHAKESPEAR, SHAKESPEARE. England’s most famous surname, perhaps. It
sounds like a spear-carrier and we might as well accept it as that, despite
scholarly controversy in the1930s.
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SHANNON. Perhaps named from the Irish river?
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SHARP. From the Old English scearp,
“the sharp, quick or smart one”
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SHAUGHNESSY. Irish, perhaps, no other data yet available.
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SHAW.
A dweller by the wood; Old English sceaga.
The name probably had multiple origins. In Scotland, there are two unrelated
lines, Highland and Lowland.
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SHEALE. Reaney links this name to SHAYLER, “a shambling person”. I find the
Scottish explanation more likely: a shepherd living in a shiel. In the North
Pennines this is a common place-name element, having usually acquired a terminal
“d”, as in Daddry Shield.
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SHEPHEARD, SHEPHERD, SHIPHERD. Speaking of shepherds…..! Things are not always
what they seem, however, and this name can also derive from ship-ward, i.e.
ship’s captain.
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SHERATON. Our SHERATONs lived at Elwick Hall (Landranger Sheet 93,
Grid Ref. NZ455325), not far from the village of Sheraton from which the name is
taken and may be related to Thomas SHERATON, the famous cabinetmaker, born
Stockton on Tees.
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SHERRIFF.
The ancient officer of the law, Old English scīrgerēfa.
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SHIELD, SHIELDS. A shepherd (see SHEALE), or perhaps an armourer, a maker of
shields.
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SHIPHERD. See SHEPHERD.
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SHIPLEY. A dweller by the sheep-pasture. The name could have been acquired
directly or from one of several villages of that name. (map)
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SHORT. The short one; Old English sceort. There
is a tradition (see LITTLE, for example) that such nicknames may be given
ironically for their exact opposite.
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SHOTTON. An inhabitant of Shotton (NBL or DUR), which means “enclosure on
the slope”. The name may also have been acquired directly from an anonymous
enclosure.
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SILK. There are two very different derivations of the name,
dependent upon geography. Usually it means a silk worker, but in Ireland it
comes from a translation from a Gaelic name which sounds like ‘silk’ in
English. Most of the Irish Silks also use the spelling ‘Silke’. Our SILK
connection is Annetta, married John TROY in
Glasgow in 1864. They were both Irish immigrants who settled in Gateshead and
had 5 children. Famous SILKs include John Silk who was hanged for murder in
Derby in 1905, and the MEP Robert Kilroy SILK. No connections are implied!
(ONS). silk@one-name.org
(Mr S J Silk)
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SIM, SIMM, SYMM. Short for SIMON, which has a joint Greek/Hebrew origin, meaning
“snub-nosed”. While the names have the same ancient origin, our SIMM family
researcher reports that any relations with SIM must go well back in time as all
records of the family who lived in Catton and Allendale.(Landranger Sheet 87,
Grid Ref. NY 828577 and NY 838559) are of double M, with a few SYMNs thrown in
for good measure! As with other families, it is not uncommon (and very useful!)
that the name crops up as a “given” name, usually for an eldest son.
Meanwhile, the SIMs were active in Keighley during the 19th C.
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SIMMONS. Either from SIMON or from SIGMUND (“victory-protector”) a heroic
name in Germanic legend.
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SIMPSON. SIM’s son. (See SIM)
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