Sheldon Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Sheldon last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Sheldon last name
Meaning of the Sheldon last name: hill with a ledge. Sheldon is an English surname from Sheldon in Derbyshire, Devon and Warwickshire, from Old English scelf, "shelf, ledge", and dun, "hill", or denu, "valley". As a last name it marked a family from one of those places. Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury, built Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre.
Arms associated with the Sheldon name
Coats of arms associated with the Sheldon last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Sheldon family history
This is only a glimpse of the Sheldon story. The full Sheldon history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Sheldon coat of arms. Get the full Sheldon report.
Sheldon name FAQ
What does the Sheldon name mean?
hill with a ledge. Common variants include Shelden, Sheldan.
Where does the Sheldon surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Sheldon coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Sheldon coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).