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Irish surname

Spillane: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Spealáin · 'descendant of Spealán' (diminutive of speal, a scythe)

Woulfe (1923) gives Spillane as an anglicised form of Ó Spealáin, 'descendant of Spealán', and records two families of the name: one said to be of Dalcassian origin, anciently chiefs of Ileagh in Co. Tipperary, and one of Ui Fiachrach in Co. Sligo. In the 1890 births index 42 of the 44 Spillane entries were in Munster, with 23 in Cork and 11 in Kerry.

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Coat of arms associated with the Spillane surname
Irish formÓ Spealáin
Meaning'descendant of Spealán' (diminutive of speal, a scythe)
CountiesTipperary, Cork, Kerry, Sligo
Other spellings9

Origin of the Spillane name

Woulfe names two families of Ó Spealáin: (1) a family 'said to be of Dalcassian origin', anciently chiefs of Ui Luighdheach, or Ileagh, in the present barony of Eliogarty, Co. Tipperary, 'long since dispersed through Munster and Leinster'; and (2) a family of Ui Fiachrach, formerly proprietors of Coillin Aodha, now Culleen, parish of Kilglas, Co. Sligo.[1]

  1. 1105Four Masters: Ailillan Ua Spealain, priest of Achadh-bo, died.[6]
  2. 189044 Spillane births registered in Ireland: 23 in Cork, 11 in Kerry.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. TipperaryIleagh, in the barony of Eliogarty, where one Ó Spealáin family were anciently chiefs.[1]
Co. Cork23 of the 44 Spillane entries in the 1890 births index.[3]
Co. Kerry11 of the 44 Spillane entries in the 1890 births index.[3]
Co. SligoA second family held Culleen, parish of Kilglas; Woulfe says they generally call themselves Spelman.[1]

Other spellings

O Spillane · Spellane · Spollane · Spollan · Splane · Splaine · Spalane · Smullen · Smollan[1][2]

The Spillane coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Spillane 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.

Spillane crest gifts

Clan Ospillane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapTO48 Classic Cap - Ospillane Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ospillane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Spillane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapNN37 Classic Cap - Spillane Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Spillane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Ospillane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap CE49 Ospillane Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Ospillane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Spillane surname: questions

What does the surname Spillane mean?

Woulfe gives Spillane as a form of Ó Spealáin, 'descendant of Spealán', and explains Spealán as a diminutive of speal, a scythe.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Spillane name from?

Woulfe says one Ó Spealáin family were anciently chiefs of Ileagh, in the barony of Eliogarty, Co. Tipperary, and another were proprietors of Culleen, parish of Kilglas, Co. Sligo. In 1890, 42 of the 44 Spillane births were registered in Munster, 23 of them in Cork and 11 in Kerry.[1][3]

Are Spillane and Spelman the same name?

Woulfe says the Sligo family of Ó Spealáin are 'still numerous in Connacht, but generally call themselves Spelman in English'. He prints Spelman and Spellman in brackets in his list of forms. In 1890 Spelman was found principally in Galway, Roscommon and Mayo.[1][4]

Why are there so many spellings of Spillane?

Woulfe says the name is usually pronounced Ó Spoláin in Munster and Connacht, sometimes Ó Smoláin in Connacht, and that forms such as Smollan and Smullen show it was sometimes pronounced that way in Leinster too.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó Spealáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/os/o-spealain.php
  2. Ó Spioláin, Ó Spoláin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/os/o-spiolain.php
  3. Spillane — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/spillane.php
  4. Spelman — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/spelman.php
  5. Spillane (list no. 1913) — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1913.php
  6. Annals of the Four Masters, M1105.3 (tr. John O'Donovan), CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text021.html

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