SHIELD. The primary meaning of this word is a covering or defence, whether against the weapons of an adversary, or against the inclemency of the weather. ASax. soijldan, tegere, protegere ; to cover, to protect. Richardson. As a surname, it is local, from sJiiel, a temporary hut for shepherds or labourers of any kind ; afterwards applied to more permanent habitations, and even to villages and towns.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.