Kershaw is an English-language surname deriving from a topographical identifier in the northern dialect of

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

: ''kirk'' meaning "church" and ''shaw'' meaning "grove". Places named Kirkshaw include Kirkshaw in the parish of

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority, combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: City of Manchester, Manchester, City of Salford, Salford ...

, and two hamlets in

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

. The Kershaw (anciently spelled "Kyrkeshagh") family resided at Town House, Rochdale from the Middle Ages until the early modern period. Notable people with the name include: *

Alex Kershaw Alex Kershaw (born 1966) is an English journalist, public speaker and the author of several best-selling books, including ''The Liberator'', ''The First Wave'', ''The Bedford Boys'' and ''The Longest Winter''. Early life Born in York, England, ...

(born 1966), American Historian *

Abbey Lee Kershaw Abbey Lee Kershaw (born 12 June 1987) known professionally as Abbey Lee, is an Australian model, actress and musician. Following several years of success leading up to the 2011 fashion seasons, '' V'' magazine dubbed her a supermodel, and Mode ...

(born 1987), Australian fashion model *

Andy Kershaw Andrew J. G. Kershaw (born 9 November 1959) is a broadcaster and disc jockey, predominantly on radio, and known for his interest in world music. Kershaw's shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, African music, spoken word pe ...

(born 1959), British radio DJ *

Anthony Kershaw Sir John Anthony Kershaw (14 December 1915 – 29 April 2008) was a British Conservative MP for 32 years, from 1955 to 1987. He served as a junior minister in the 1970s. He was also a barrister, World War II cavalry officer, amateur rugby p ...

(1915–2008), British Conservative Party Member of Parliament 1955 to 1987 *

Betty Kershaw Dame Janet Elizabeth Murray Kershaw (''née'' Gammie; born 11 December 1943) is an English nurse who served as professor of nursing and dean at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sheffield from 1999 to 2006. She served as Head ...

(born 1943), British professor of nursing * Billy Kershaw, rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s * Bob Kershaw (died 1998), South African fighter pilot in World War II *

Cecil Kershaw Cecil Ashworth Kershaw (3 February 1895 – 1 November 1972) was a British Olympian and England rugby international during the 1920s. Fencing career Kershaw was an Olympic fencer who competed for Great Britain at two Olympic Games He was ...

(1895–1972), British fencer and rugby union footballer during the 1920s *

Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) . He has played for the Dodgers for the entirety of his MLB career. A left-handed starting p ...

(born 1988), US baseball player *

Devon Kershaw Devon Kershaw (born December 20, 1982) is a Canadian retired cross-country skier who competed from 2005 to 2018. Growing up in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, he split his time between several sports before choosing to focus on his cross-country ski ...

(born 1982), Canadian cross-country skier *

Doug Kershaw Douglas James Kershaw (born January 24, 1936) is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1948, he began his career as part of the duo Rusty and Doug, along with his brother, Rusty Kershaw. He had an extens ...

(born 1936), American fiddle player * Elinor Kershaw (1884–1971), American actress *

Fraser Kershaw Fraser Hart Kershaw Jr. is an American activist from the Virgin Islands in the clean water movement throughout the United States and Latin America. He made his television debut acting as multiple characters in the 2016 televised international ...

, activist and actor * Harry Kershaw, rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s and 1900s * Harry Clement Kershaw (1906–1985), British trade unionist * Herbert Kershaw, English rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s *

H. V. Kershaw H. V. Kershaw, also known as Harry Kershaw, (29 May 1918England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 – 18 April 1992) from Manchester was a British television scriptwriter and producer best known for his long association with the so ...

(1918–1992), British dramatist *

Ian Kershaw Sir Ian Kershaw (born 29 April 1943) is an English historian whose work has chiefly focused on the social history of 20th-century Germany. He is regarded by many as one of the world's leading experts on Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, and is pa ...

(born 1943), British historian * J.C. Kershaw (1871–1959), British entomologist *

Jack Kershaw John Karl Kershaw (October 12, 1913 – September 7, 2010) was an American attorney best known for challenging the official account of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, claiming that his client James Earl Ray was an unwitt ...

(1913–2010), American attorney * John Kershaw (disambiguation), several people *

Joseph B. Kershaw Joseph Brevard Kershaw (January 5, 1822 – April 13, 1894) was a prominent South Carolina planter and slaveholder. He was also a lawyer, judge, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. Early life Kershaw was born on January 5, 182 ...

(1822–1894), Confederate general * Joseph Franklin Kershaw (1884–1917), English artist * Kim Kershaw (born 1959), Australian rules footballer, father of Abbey Lee Kershaw * L. R. Kershaw (1880–1969), pioneer Oklahoma settler, developer, banker and cattleman *

Les Kershaw Les Kershaw is the former chief scout and Academy Director for Manchester United. Kershaw studied at Manchester Metropolitan University before being recruited by United manager Alex Ferguson. He had previously acted as a part-time scout for Ar ...

, chief scout and academy director for Manchester United *

Liz Kershaw Elizabeth Marguerita Mary Kershaw (born 30 July 1958) is an English radio broadcaster. She is the second longest serving female national radio DJ in the UK (after Annie Nightingale), celebrating 30 years on national BBC Radio in 2017. Career A ...

(born 1958), UK music broadcaster *

Mary Kershaw Mary Kershaw is an American museum curator and director. Biography Kershaw studied at the University of Pennsylvania and University College London before being appointed as an assistant curator at Harrogate's museums. She was the curator at the ...

, US museum director *

Nellie Kershaw Nellie Kershaw (c. 1891 – 14 March 1924) was an English textile worker from Rochdale, Lancashire. Her death due to pulmonary asbestosis was the first such case to be described in medical literature, and the first published account of disease att ...

(1891–1924), UK textile worker and the first asbestos victim *

Nik Kershaw Nicholas David Kershaw (born 1 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Kershaw came to prominence in 1984 as a solo artist. He released eight singles that entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during the ...

(born 1958), UK singer-songwriter *

Noreen Kershaw Noreen Kershaw is an English television actress and director. She trained at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre and, at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre, originated the title role of the play '' Shirley Valentine'', later made famous by ...

(born 1950), UK actor * Paul Dudley Kershaw (1926-2006), Cajun singer and musician, Cousin to Doug and Sammy Kershaw, Cajun Artists * Peter Kershaw (palynologist), Australian palynologist who did key work on dating

Gunditjmara The Gunditjmara or Gunditjamara, also known as Dhauwurd Wurrung, are an Aboriginal Australian people of southwestern Victoria. They are the traditional owners of the areas now encompassing Warrnambool, Port Fairy, Woolsthorpe and Portland. Their ...

aquaculture * Peter Kershaw, British tennis player and chairman at

Joseph Holt's Brewery Joseph Holt is an English brewer of beer, founded in 1849 and remaining in the same family for six generations. The company is based in Manchester and owns 127 pubs in Greater Manchester and the North West. Its beers are supplied to over 500 ...

Richard Kershaw Richard Ruegg Kershaw (16 April 1934 – 28 April 2014) was a British television reporter and interviewer. Born in London, he was educated at Cheltenham College (an independent school for boys) in England. He was then called up for National ...

(1934–2014), UK television reporter *

Sammy Kershaw Samuel Paul Kershaw (born February 24, 1958) is an American country music artist. He has released 16 studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications among them. More than 25 singles have entered the Top 40 on the ...

(born 1958), singer and songwriter, a relative of the Cajun fiddler, Doug Kershaw * Thomas Kershaw (disambiguation), several people * Willette Kershaw (1882–1960), American actress

References

{{surname English-language surnames

See also

References