| ![Show Contents]() Shelby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Shelby familyThe surname Shelby was first found in North Yorkshire at Selby, a town and civil parish that dates back to the time of the Vikings as archaeological investigations in the area have revealed extensive remains, including waterlogged deposits in the core of the town dating from that time. One of the first records of the place name was in c. 1030 where it was listed as Seleby. A little more than 50 years later, it was listed as Salebi in the Domesday Book and literally meant "farmstead or village near sallow-trees" having derived from the Old English word "sele" + the Old Scandinavian word "by." 1 "A town in Yorkshire, and a township in Northumberland. Riddleston, in the latter county, was granted in 1272, by King Edward I., to Sir Walter de Selby, and it has ever since remained in the possession of his descendants." 2 "It was a common Yorkshire surname, especially as Seleby, in the reign of Edward I." 3 It is understood to be the traditional birthplace of King Henry I, fourth son of William the Conqueror, in 1068/69. It is best known for Selby Abbey, which it is claimed that when Benedict of Auxerre in 1069 saw three swans on a lake in Selby, he understood that to be a sign of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, hence the Arms of Selby Abbey has three swans. The township of Moat in Cumberland was the scene of many battles with the Scots of the north. "It more than once fell into the power of the Scots, and on one occasion was taken by David, King of Scotland, who caused the two sons of the governor, Sir Walter Selby, to be strangled." 4 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: William de Seleby; Johannes de Selby; and Willelmus de Selby. 5 The Shelby or Eshelby variants are interesting. The variants still hail from Yorkshire but unique entries for these families appear in early rolls: John de Eskelby in the Subsidy Rolls in 1327; Richard Exilby as a Freeman of York in 1490 and Thomas Eshelby as a Freeman of York in 1672. Some of these spellings have been lost through the centuries. "Both surnames might also derive from Asselby (East Riding of Yorkshire) which is found as Askelby 1282, Eskilby 1199 and Axilbye 1551." 6 Early History of the Shelby familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shelby research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1603, 1618, 1667, 1744, 1788, 1804, 1806, 1812, 1823 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Shelby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Shelby Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Selby, Selbie, Shelby, Eshelby, Exelby, Axelby and others. Early Notables of the Shelby familyDistinguished members of the family include John Prideaux Selby (1788-1867), English naturalist, born in Bondgate Street, Alnwick, on 23 July 1788. He was the eldest son of George Selby of Beal and Twizell, Northumberland. "The father was head of one branch of an old and influential family long prominent in the history of Northumberland and the borders. Five members of the family received the honour of knighthood at James I's hands. One of them, Sir George Selby, mayor of Newcastle, obtained the sobriquet of King's Host from the sumptuous manner in which he entertained the king on his progresses to and...
Another 155 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shelby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Shelby RankingIn the United States, the name Shelby is the 2,637th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 7
| Shelby migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Shelby Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Evan Shelby, who landed in Mississippi in 1798 8
Shelby Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Frederick Shelby, who landed in Maryland in 1819 8
- Frederick, Shelby Jr., who landed in Maryland in 1834 8
- Lewis Shelby, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 8
- W Shelby, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 8
- John Shelby, who arrived in DeWitt County, Illinois in 1876 8
| Contemporary Notables of the name Shelby (post 1700) | + |
- Carroll Hall Shelby (1923-2012), American automotive designer and racing driver, best known for his work on the AC Cobra and Mustang (Shelby Mustangs) for Ford Motor Company, founder of Carroll Shelby International, awarded the 2008 Automotive Executive of the Year Award
- Isaac Shelby (1750-1826), American politician, 1st and 5th Governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky
- Joseph Orville Shelby (1830-1897), noted Confederate cavalry general
- Charlotte Shelby (1877-1957), popular American Broadway actress
- John T. Shelby (b. 1958), former American center fielder in Major League Baseball
- Richard Craig Shelby (b. 1934), the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama
- Isaac Shelby, American politician, Postmaster at Martinsburg, Virginia, 1796-99 9
- Isaac Shelby (1750-1826), American politician, Member of North Carolina State Legislature, 1779; Delegate to Kentucky State Constitutional Convention, 1792; Governor of Kentucky, 1792-96, 1812-16 9
- Horace E. Shelby, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1904 9
- Evan Shelby, American politician, Postmaster at Martinsburg, Virginia, 1793-96 9
- ... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
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: Semper sapit suprema
Motto Translation: He is always wise about the highest matters.
| Suggested Readings for the name Shelby | + |
- Chasin' Shelby's by Janet Schonert.
- Our Ancestors and Kinsmen: The Shelbys Polks, et al. by Max W. Camp.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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