| ![Show Contents]() Schive History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
Etymology of SchiveWhat does the name Schive mean? The ancient Scottish name Schive was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The original bearer of the name lived in the old barony in the parish of Tarves, Aberdeenshire. The name Schive comes from Gaelic seamhas, meaning "a narrow place in a river." Early Origins of the Schive familyThe surname Schive was first found in Tarves, Aberdeenshire. Some of the earliest records of the family include: John Chivas, who had a safe conduct to study at Oxford in 1393, and William Shivas, who was a Physician and Astrologer, Archbishop of St. Andrews in 1477. Later, John Scheves was forgiven on a charge of murder in 1526. 1 William Schevez or Schives (died 1497) was "Archbishop of St. Andrews, is supposed to have descended from a family that adopted the name from the estate of Schevez in Aberdeenshire. One John de Schevez was clerk to James I in 1426, and may have been the patron through whose influence William Schevez was introduced to the court." 2 Early History of the Schive familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schive research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1647, 1648, 1759, 1801, 1843 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Schive History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Schive Spelling VariationsSpelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Schive has been spelled Shivas, Shives, Chivas, Shivis, Shivez, Shivers, Shevas and many more. Early Notables of the Schive familyAnother 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Schive Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Schive family to IrelandSome of the Schive family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Schive familySuch hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them: Samuel Shiva who was on record in Boston Massachusetts in 1651; Richard Shevers, who was in the records of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1694; James and Henry Shivers, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1847.
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Virtute non vi
Motto Translation: By virtue not by force.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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