Gaelic sept

Sheehan

Ó Síodhacháin

Also: Sheahan

“descendant of Síodhach, 'the peaceful'”

🏔 Limerick · Luimneach 🏔 Cork · Corcaigh 🏔 Kerry · Ciarraí

The sept's historic heartland, highlighted. People moved — a name can be found far from home.

The story

The 'peaceful' sept of the Dál gCais — though as trumpeters and household troops to the O'Briens they earned the name the loud way first.

Their world Around 1450 — The Gaelic Resurgence. Plague, absentee landlords and Gaelic recovery shrink English Ireland to a fortified strip around Dublin.

See them on the atlas ↗

What the name is made of

Ó Síodhacháin
Ó — descendant of (originally grandson of)
Síodhacháin — the ancestor, trade or place the name is built on

Find this form in the Irish-to-English index → · What Ó and Mac actually mean

Is Sheehan an Irish name?

Sheehan is a Gaelic name: it was formed in Irish, from an Irish ancestor, before English was spoken here.

The five answers, and why it is rarely yes or no →

From Wikipedia — “Sheehan”

Sheehan is the Anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Síodhacháin, meaning the peaceful one. It is most common in counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick. It is the 77th most common surname in Ireland.

Read the full article ↗ · Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Neighbours — other names from the same counties

Buckley · Cork, Kerry Casey · Cork, Limerick Collins · Cork, Limerick Cronin · Cork, Kerry Culloty · Kerry, Cork Díaz · Cork, Kerry Donovan · Cork, Limerick Dowling · Cork, Kerry Downey · Cork, Kerry Fitzgerald · Kerry, Limerick Foley · Kerry, Cork Galvin · Kerry, Cork Griffin · Kerry, Limerick Hayes · Cork, Limerick

Quick answers

Is Sheehan an Irish name?

Sheehan is a Gaelic name: it was formed in Irish, from an Irish ancestor, before English was spoken here. In Irish the name is Ó Síodhacháin.

What does the surname Sheehan mean?

Sheehan (Irish: Ó Síodhacháin) means “descendant of Síodhach, 'the peaceful'”. Origin: Gaelic sept.

Where in Ireland is the surname Sheehan from?

The historic homeland of the Sheehan name is Limerick, Cork, Kerry. People moved, so the name can be found far beyond it.

What is the Irish for Sheehan?

Ó Síodhacháin. Related spellings: Sheahan.

Looking for the Sheehan family crest? Read this first — arms belong to people, not surnames, and the honest version is more interesting. Tracing Sheehan ancestors? The step-by-step guide.

Not your spelling? Try the full A–Z. Know more about the Sheehan name? Add to the story.