Shifflett
A surname most likely from an older place-name or personal-name form, preserved in American family usage.
The #4,147 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 36,136 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Shifflett is best treated as an English-language surname of uncertain derivation. It may be a reduced or altered form of an older name or local place-name, with the final -ett/-ett-like ending suggesting later sound change or spelling variation rather than a clear original meaning. Because the surname is not well documented in the standard surname dictionaries, its exact literal source is not certain.
History
The name is found chiefly in the United States, where it seems to have taken shape through regional spelling variation over time. Like many less-common surnames, it may reflect the Americanization of an older British or colonial name-form, but the precise line of descent is not securely established. It is most visible today in the southern and mid-Atlantic U.S.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Its uncommon spelling makes it a good example of how one family line can preserve a distinct surname form for generations.