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Irish surname

Shanahan: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Seanacháin · 'descendant of Seanachán' (diminutive of seanach, old, wise)

Woulfe (1923) gives Shanahan as an anglicised form of Ó Seanacháin, 'descendant of Seanachán' (diminutive of seanach, old, wise), the name of a Dalcassian family who were chiefs of Ui Ronghaile in the east of Thomond until 1318. Expelled that year, they settled at first in Co. Waterford but have long been scattered through Munster. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 65 entries including spelling varieties (53 spelled Shanahan), principally in Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick and Waterford.

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Coat of arms associated with the Shanahan surname
Irish formÓ Seanacháin
Meaning'descendant of Seanachán' (diminutive of seanach, old, wise)
CountiesWaterford, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary
Other spellings6

Origin of the Shanahan name

Woulfe: a Dalcassian family, chiefs of Ui Ronghaile in the east of Thomond until the year 1318, 'when they were expelled by Torlough O'Brien and the MacNamaras. They settled at first in Co. Waterford, but have long been scattered through Munster.'[1]

  1. 1318Chiefs of Ui Ronghaile expelled by Torlough O'Brien and the MacNamaras.[1]
  2. 189065 birth entries incl. varieties (53 Shanahan); Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford.[4][6]

Where in Ireland

Co. WaterfordWhere Woulfe says the family 'settled at first' after 1318; a principal 1890 county.[1][4]
Co. CorkFirst county named for Shanahan births in 1890 (Munster had 58 of 65).[4]
Co. KerryNamed among the counties where Shanahan births were principally found in 1890.[4]
Co. TipperaryNamed among the counties where Shanahan births were principally found in 1890.[4]
Co. LimerickNamed among the counties where Shanahan births were principally found in 1890.[4]

Other spellings

O Shanahan · O Sheanaghaine · Shanaghan · Shanihan · O Shenchane · O Shenchan[1]

The Shanahan coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Shanahan surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Shanahan crest gifts

Clan Shanahan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap RK22 Shanahan Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Shanahan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Shanahan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapSS91 Classic Cap - Shanahan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Shanahan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Oshanahan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapQM17 Classic Cap - Oshanahan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Oshanahan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Oshanahan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap GW67 Oshanahan Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Oshanahan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Shanahan surname: questions

What does the surname Shanahan mean?

Woulfe gives Shanahan as a form of Ó Seanacháin, 'descendant of Seanachán', a diminutive of seanach, which he glosses as 'old, wise'.[1]

Where does the Shanahan family come from?

Woulfe says they were a Dalcassian family, chiefs of Ui Ronghaile in the east of Thomond until 1318, when they were expelled by Torlough O'Brien and the MacNamaras. They settled at first in Co. Waterford and have long been scattered through Munster.[1]

Where in Ireland were Shanahans found in 1890?

Matheson's 1890 birth indexes give 65 entries including spelling varieties (53 spelled Shanahan), 58 of them in Munster, principally in Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick and Waterford.[4]

Are Shanahan and Shannon related?

Sometimes. Woulfe lists Shannon among the anglicised forms of Ó Seanacháin (Shanahan), but he also gives Shannon under a different Irish name, Ó Seanáin, 'a scattered surname'.[1][3]

Sources

  1. Ó Seanacháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/os/o-seanachain.php
  2. Ó Seancháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/os/o-seanchain.php
  3. Ó Seanáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/os/o-seanain.php
  4. Shanahan — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/shanahan.php
  5. Shanahan — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1859.php
  6. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).