Sheth
A surname that most likely comes from the biblical name Seth, meaning “appointed” or “placed.”
The #8,217 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 76,460 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Sheth is best understood as a surname formed from the biblical personal name Seth, from Hebrew Šēṯ, traditionally glossed as “appointed” or “placed.” The excerpt provided discusses Seth/Sheth as a male name of Scripture, which fits this derivation well. In surname use, it would have functioned as a name taken from an ancestor or from the given name itself.
History
As a surname, Sheth is relatively uncommon in English-language records and may arise independently in more than one cultural setting. In some cases it could reflect an anglicized spelling of a South Asian surname as well as a surname ultimately linked to the biblical name Seth. Because the source excerpt only confirms the biblical personal-name origin for Seth/Sheth, the broader surname history remains somewhat uncertain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The biblical name Seth is usually explained as meaning “appointed,” referring to the third son of Adam and Eve.
From the historical record
“SETH. A male name derived from the Scripture name, in H. nttf, Sheth, signifying * appointed.' Fuerstius writes the name S'et, and renders it ' kriegsgetiimmel,' i. e. war bustle or noise. SEUMAS. The Gaelic form of James.”
— Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland