Kershaw Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kershaw last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Kershaw last name
Meaning of the Kershaw last name: "church wood". Kershaw is an English surname from a place near Rochdale in Lancashire, from Old Norse kjarr, "brushwood" or "marsh", and Old English sceaga, "small wood". The last name is common in Lancashire. Kershaw County in South Carolina carries the name of an 18th-century settler.
Arms associated with the Kershaw name
In English heraldry a coat of arms belonged to one person, so Kershaw lines used their own versions.
Get your full Kershaw family history
This is only a glimpse of the Kershaw story. The full Kershaw 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 Kershaw coat of arms. Get the full Kershaw report.
Kershaw name FAQ
What does the Kershaw name mean?
"church wood". Common variants include Kearshaw, Kirshaw.
Where does the Kershaw surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Kershaw coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kershaw coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).