Shriver
An Anglicized surname from German Schreiber, meaning “scribe” or “writer.”
The #5,817 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,960 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Shriver is generally an Americanized spelling of German Schreiber, from schreiben, “to write.” The literal sense is “writer,” “clerk,” or “scribe,” and it was originally an occupational name for someone who did writing, record-keeping, or clerical work. Older English readers sometimes associated it with “shrive,” but the stronger historical evidence points to the German occupational surname.
History
The name appears in German-speaking immigrant communities and was often simplified in spelling after arrival in North America. American surname scholars of the late 19th and early 20th centuries explicitly equated Shriver with Schreiber. The form is especially found in the United States, where it became established as a stable family name rather than just a spelling variant.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname lists, Shriver is often grouped with other Americanized German names that were reshaped to sound more English.
From the historical record
“(probably from Ireland), Creed, Quaker, Church, Pray, and Revere, are probably not more pious than our Mr. Pagan or Mr. Turk. Mr. Shriver lives at Union Landing, La., 1859 ; and Mrs. Shryaer, at Troy, X.Y. Both Mr. Churchman and Mr. Mussal- MAN live in Xew York ; also Messrs. Bigot, Munk,”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)