Researching William Short
Delve into the history of William Short using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 11698 people with the Short surname? In that year Short was ranked number 353 for popularity in the UK. |

The name William means "resolute guardian" and is of German origin.
Records of William Short on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of William Short in your family tree. Many large databases are available to search covering from births, deaths and marriages, military records, census records and immigration records with many other smaller collections too. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for William Short. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for William Short. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for William Short. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for William Short. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for William Short. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Short ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Short Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for William Short and the Short Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Short Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources below you will be able to find a birth record and, from that, a birth certificate can be ordered which lists the names of the mother and father, taking you back another generation in your tree. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Short family tree.
Investigate Parish Records for William Short at Find My Past.
Look at for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of William Short using the FreeBMD database.
Explore Genealogy Bank for William Short records.
Investigate MyHeritage for William Short information.
Study the LDS Database for records about William Short.
Research the Short surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Short Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 15467 people with the Short surname in the UK? Short is now ranked number 363 for popularity in the UK. |
Short Genealogy Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Search the WikiTree database for user contributed records for William Short.
Study MyTrees for information on the Short family and people looking to contact living Short relations.
Study One Great Family for Short records submitted by people who are already researching the Short Family Tree.
Find William Short from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Short Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Short surname using Genealogy.com forums .
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 63803 people with the Short surname in the USA? Short is ranked number 136 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous Short Databases
Explore the Ellis Island Database for information on William Short. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called William Short
William Henry Short
William Henry Short VC (4 February 1884 – 6 August 1916) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Short was from Eston, Middlesbrough. Before the war he was a steelworker, working as a craneman in a steelworks at Eston. He was also a popular local footballer, playing for the Grangetown Albion, Saltburn, and Lazenby United.
He was 31 years old, and a private in the 8th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own), (Green Howards) British Army during the First World War.
On 6 August 1916 at Munster Alley, Contalmaison, France, during the Battle of the Somme, for which he was awarded the VC.
Short was interred at Contalmaison Chateau Cemetery, France. The gravestone inscription reads: SAFE WITH JESUS NEVER FORGOTTEN BY MOTHER FATHER, BROTHERS & SISTERS TILL WE MEET AGAIN. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Green Howards Museum, Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. His steel helmet is part of the collection of the Imperial War Museum.
William Short (American ambassador)
William Short (1759–1849) was an American diplomat during the early years of the United States. He served as Thomas Jefferson's private secretary when the latter was a peace commissioner in France, and remained in Europe to take on several other diplomatic posts. Jefferson, later the third President of the United States, was a lifelong mentor and friend. In a 1789 letter, Jefferson referred to Short as his "adoptive son."
Short was an early member and president (1778–1781) of Phi Beta Kappa at the College of William & Mary and was elected to Virginia's Executive Council from 1783 to 1784. After serving as the U.S.'s chargé d'affaires in France during the French Revolution (1789–92). In 1792 he was appointed as America's Minister to the Netherlands, and from 1794 to 1795 he served as a treaty commissioner to Spain. In 1804, Short was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society. Although his diplomatic career was not as celebrated or long as Short may have wished, and his love affair with a French noblewoman ended with her marrying another man, Short was a successful businessman and an opponent of slavery who died very wealthy in America.
Source: William Short (American ambassador), Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaOther names that sound a bit like Short
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
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