A dialectually transposed variant spelling of the locational name Shortridge or Shortrig from the Olde English 'Sceort hryeg' from the 7th century AD. The name means 'The dweller from the village of Shortrig in Dumfriesshire. Because locational names were given to people when they moved to a new area this type of transposition is common particularly where a change of dialect is involved between (say) Scotland and England. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth Shortrigg which was dated 1689, Dumfries, Scotland during the reign of King William III, (William & Mary) 1689 - 1704 Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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