Meaning and origin
The last name Shields derives from the English and Scottish origins. It was derived from the Old English word "sceald" or the Scottish Gaelic "siol," both meaning "shallow" or "shields." This surname was possibly a topographic or locational name, given to individuals who lived by or near a physical feature such as a shallow river or stream. The name could also have been an occupational name for a shield-bearer or a defensive warrior. Overall, the origins of the last name Shields can be traced back to either English or Scottish roots.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#672
Shields was the 672nd most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 50,832 people, about 17 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Shields
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Shields is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.