The Short surname is English from the Old English term of ‘sceort’ meant short, small. By Middle English it was then spelled ‘short’. Originally it did refer to a short person, low in stature or height. Variations for the name Short are Shorte, Schorte and Shortt. In England the Short name is originated in Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire and spread also into Lincolnshire and Lancashire. Further south it is found in the city of London and along the southern coast of English. The name is in Glamorgan County in Wales. In Scotland the county of Lanarkshire, Fife and Midlothian have the higher populations of Short families. Within the United States the Short surname is across the southern and mid-western states. The highest numbers are in New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, California, Washington and Iowa. Famous: Chris Short (professional baseball player), Gregory Short (classical music composer), Keith Short (English sculptor), Luke Short (writer), Nigel Short (chess player), Hassard Short (director of Broadway musicals), Craig Short (English football player) and Bobby Short (musician).