This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the shaw,' from residence beside a small wood or shaw.

John atte Schaghe, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

John atte Schawe. Rolls of Parliament.

Johannes del Schagh', 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Radulph del Schagh', 1379: ibid.

Alicia Shaghe, 1379: ibid.

Robertus del Schaghe, 1379: ibid.

1608. Baptised — Anthonte, s. Anthonie Shawe: St. James, Clerkenwell.

The Lowland surname of Shaw is of territorial origin. John de Schau witnessed the resignation of the lands of Aldhus to the monks of Paisley in 1284 (RMP., p. 65), and in the same year was witness to the gift of land in the vill of Stewardton by Godfridus de Ros to the same monks (ibid., p. 381). In 1294 William de Schaw witnessed a confirmation charter by James the Seneschal of Scotland to the church of Paisley (ibid., p. 96). Symon del Schawe, Fergus del Shawe, and William de Shawe, all three designated "of the county of Lanark," rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, II, p. 203,206). John de Schawe was a burgess of Dundee in 1331 (HP., I, p. 225), and in 1409 there is record of a payment by the monks of Melrose to James de le Schaw (Metros, p. 535). James Schaw of Salquhi (Sauchie) witnessed a notarial attestation of the 'sponsalia' or marriage-settlement of James, eldest son and heir of the king of Scots, to the Lady Cecilia in 1474 (Bain, IV, 1417). George Schaw of Craiginbae, 1606 (Retours, Kirkcudbright, 69), and James Shau in Castletoun Miln, 1711 (Minutes, p. 115). The families of this name, of south country origin, are found mainly in Kirkcudbrightshire, Ayrshire, around Greenock, and in Stirlingshire, Sha 1705.

(2) Northern Shaw (of Aberdeenshire, a branch of Clan Chattan) has nothing to do with Lowland Shaw. Shaw was adopted as being that most nearly resembling the Gaelic name in pronunciation. The first record of the name is in one of the Gaelic entries in the Book of Deer, recording "Donnachac mac Sithig toesech clenni Morgainn" (Duncan mac Sithech toisech of Clan Morgan), in Buchan. Sithech, a Culdee of Mothel (now Muthill in Perthshire), was one of the witnesses to a charter by Symon or Symeon, bishop of Dunblane, c. 1178, to the nuns of North Berwick (CMN., 5). As Sythakh Kelede he witnessed another charter by the same bishop (Inchaffray, p. 1). Seth mac Lood, a 'native man' of the Abbey of Dunfermline, is witness in a deed of 1230, and Sithaus (in index wrongly, Sithane), son of Ewald, was a native man of the same abbey in the same century (RD., Ill, 222). Sytliach Macmallon, a lay thrall or bondman in Badenoch, was turned over to the possession of the bishop in 1234 (REM., p. 84). Fercardus filius Sethi, witness in an agreement also dated 1234 (ibid., p. 99) is evidently Fercardus senescallus de Badenoch of the next document, and probably the individual who gave the name Macan-toisich to the Mackintoshes. A charter by Alexander de Yla, earl of Ross, dated 1338, of the lands of Dalnafert and Kinrorayth (now Kinrara) reserves an acre of ground near 'le Stychan of Dalnafert "in qua situm fuit manerium quondam Scayth filii Ferchardi" (SCM., IV, p. 125). In the Exchequer Rolls between 1455 and 1469 there are numerous references (vols, VI and VII) to three individuals designated the king's 'couriers' or 'messengers. All three bear the same surname, which is variously spelled Scheo, Scheho, Schetho, Schethou, Schethow, Scheoch, Schethoch, Scheok, and once wrongly de Schetho, as if of territorial origin. Elsewhere in the same volumes the name is further misspelled Macstag and Makstag, manifestly errors for Macscheo. Mention is made in 1532 "de horreis Willelmi Schetho" near Arbroath (RAA., II, 765). John Schetho, clerk of St. Andrews diocese, 1542 (Laing, 464), Thomas Schedow witnessed a tack by the abbot of Cambuskenneth, 1546 (ibid., 505), and Robert Schedo witnessed a charter by William Lundie of that Ilk, 1593 (ibid., 1260). John Schedo was witness in Falkland, 1548 (Gaw, 8). Thomas Scheoch witnessed a procuratory by Elizabeth Stuart, lady of Garnetully (Crandtully, I, p. 58). Hutcheon siache or Shaw in Rothirmurchus was fined for resetting outlawed Macgregors, 1613 (RPC., XIV, p. 630), and William Schetho, minister of Kilgour, Falkland, was deposed for drunkenness in 1635 (Fasti, II, p. 490). The name means (son of the) olt; from - sithech (Mid. Irish sidhach), an old Gaelic name for the animal. Without 'Mac' the name has been Englished as Shaw in Argyllshire, as Seth and Seath in Fife, and it appears as Shiach and Sheach in Aberdeen and Elgin. See also under Sithech and Sythag.

Some families of the name were established in Ulster before 1621 as we know from the Inquisitions relating to Antrim and Down.

(English) Dweller at a Wood or Grove [Middle English shaw(e, schaw(e, schagh, Old English sc(e)aga] A Scaga occurs in a charter, a.d. 778, of Ecgberht, king of Kent, to the then Bishop ot Rochester, of land at ‘Brómgeheg.’ Richard de la Schawe.—Patent-Rolls, Lancs, A.D. 1271.

Brice del Schagh.—Chesh.Chntbrlns'. Accts., A.D. 1303-4.

John atte Schaghe.—Exchq. Subs. Roll, Soms., A.D. 1327.

Gaillard [merry] he was as goldfynch in the shawe.—Chaucer, Cant. Tales, A 4367-8.

When shawes beene sheene [bright] and shraddes [twigs] full fayre.—‘Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne’: Percy’s Reliques.

On record in Co. Antrim since 1621. Bibl; IF goo; SIF 161

“Wood” in Old English. Shea in Irish, hence O’Shea.

(Scottish, English) Dweller at the small wood or thicket; descendant of Sithech (wolf); one who came from Shaw (small wood), the name of several places in England.

A thicket, a grove. The Highland family of Shaw is a branch of the clan Mackintosh.

(Scotch.) A lawn, a plain surrounded by trees, or an open space between woods.

(E. and S.), Thicket, Grove, Wood, in England and the Lowlands; but the Highland family of Shaw are a branch of the M'Intoshes, in whose early history often occurs the forename of Scha, Schea, or Shaw, probably the same as the Erse Shawn; i. e., John.

A location name in Lancashire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire From from the Old Norse, Skógr, a wood; orfrom the Swedish, Skog; from the Danish, Schau, Shaw; from the Dutch, Schouw, Schowe; from the Flemish, Schaugh; a personal name.

Shaw: (Old Norse skog) is—(1) A small wood or coppice; (2) a flat at the foot of a hill; (3) a boggy place by a river: Ellershaw, Painshaw; but see what is said under Heugh, corrupted into shot, as Aldershot.

Shaw. —The great home of this name is in the West Riding, Cheshire, and Lancashire, and in the neighbouring northern midland counties of Derby, Stafford, and Notts. It is rare or absent in the south of England, excepting Sussex, and is similarly infrequent in the eastern coast counties south of the Wash. "Shaw" in Anglo - Saxon signified a small wood. In counties where the surname is numerous, as in Lancashire and Yorkshire, the name is attached to places. The Shaws are fairly represented in Scotland, but not in the northern part.