Shaver
An English and North American surname that may be a variant of Shaw or a nickname related to shaving or trimming.
The #2,135 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 18,191 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname is likely to have more than one possible source. Some evidence points to an older English form such as Schavere or Shavetail, which may connect it with the idea of shaving, trimming, or a close-cropped look; other explanations treat it as a variant spelling related to Shaw or similar surnames. Because the historical record is mixed and the etymology is not firmly settled, it is safest to treat Shaver as an English surname of uncertain origin.
History
The name appears in medieval and later English records, and by the 19th century it was also well established in North America. One source notes it as especially common in Canada, which fits its wider spread through English-speaking migration. The surname has also been used as a family name in the United States, where it is moderately uncommon but long established.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century source specifically remarks that Shaver was very common in Canada.
From the historical record
“TONSOR. 1. A latinization of Barber. The name Barbitonsor, "beard-shaver," is found in H.R. 2. One Durandus Tonsor was a Domesday tenant in chief. TONY. See Toni.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom