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Irish surname

Sheridan: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Sirideáin · 'descendant of Sirideán'

Woulfe (1923) gives Sheridan as Ó Sirideáin, an ecclesiastical family who were erenaghs of Granard, Co. Longford, and later moved to Co. Cavan, where at the end of the 16th century they were followers of O'Reilly. The family 'rose to eminence in the 17th and 18th century', and he names the dramatist Richard Brinsley Sheridan among its members. In 1890 the name was chiefly in Cavan, Dublin and Mayo.

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Coat of arms associated with the Sheridan surname
Irish formÓ Sirideáin
Meaning'descendant of Sirideán'
CountiesCavan, Longford, Dublin, Mayo
Other spellings4
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Sheridan crest gifts

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Origin of the Sheridan name

Ó Sirideáin: 'an ecclesiastical family who were erenaghs of Granard, in Co. Longford, but appear to have afterwards removed to Co. Cavan', followers of O'Reilly at the end of the 16th century and 'still numerous' there. MacFirbis mentions a family of the name among the Siol-Muireadhaigh in Connacht.[1]

  1. End of the 16th centurySheridans in Co. Cavan are followers of O'Reilly.[1]
  2. 1690'O SURIDIN siue SHERIDAN' in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[5]
  3. 1721Thomas Sheridan, actor and author, born at Quilca, Co. Cavan.[7]
  4. 1751Richard Brinsley Sheridan born at 12 Dorset-street, Dublin.[6]
  5. 1775The Rivals first brought out at Covent-garden, January.[6]
  6. 1890145 Sheridan births, chiefly Cavan, Dublin and Mayo.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. CavanFollowers of O'Reilly here by the late 16th century; first county named in 1890.[1][4][10]
Co. LongfordThe family were erenaghs of Granard.[1]
Co. DublinAmong the chief Sheridan counties in 1890.[4]
Co. MayoAmong the chief Sheridan counties in 1890.[4]

Notable people named Sheridan

William Sheridanc. 1635–1711Born at Togher, Co. Cavan; Bishop of Kilmore from 1681-2; deprived in 1691 for refusing the oaths to William and Mary.[8]
Thomas Sheridan1721–1788Actor; leased Smock-alley Theatre, Dublin; his Dictionary of the English Language appeared in 1780.[7]
Frances Sheridan1724–1766Writer, daughter of Dr. Philip Chamberlaine and wife of the actor Thomas Sheridan; Sidney Biddulph is her best-known work.[9]
Richard Brinsley Sheridan1751–1816Dublin-born dramatist (The Rivals), patentee and manager of Drury-lane, member for Stafford from 1780.[6]

Other spellings

O Sheridan · Sherridan · Shirdan · Shurdan[2]

The Sheridan coat of arms

The name appears as 'O SURIDIN siue SHERIDAN' in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as printed by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named Sheridan is entitled to a coat of arms.[5]

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

Sheridan surname: questions

Is Sheridan an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe gives it as Ó Sirideáin, 'descendant of Sirideán', an ecclesiastical family who were erenaghs of Granard, Co. Longford, and later settled in Co. Cavan.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Sheridan name from?

Granard, Co. Longford, and then Co. Cavan, where the family were followers of O'Reilly at the end of the 16th century. In 1890 Sheridan births were chiefly in Cavan, Dublin and Mayo, though 'very generally distributed' throughout Ireland.[1][4]

Was Richard Brinsley Sheridan from the Irish Sheridan family?

Woulfe names him, with Thomas Sheridan, Secretary of State under James II, and Sir Thomas Sheridan, tutor to Prince Charles Edward, as members of the Ó Sirideáin family.[1]

What does the surname Sheridan mean?

Woulfe gives only 'descendant of Sirideán'; he does not explain the personal name Sirideán.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó Sirideáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/os/o-sirideain.php
  2. Ó Seireadáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/os/o-seireadain.php
  3. Ó Sioradáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/os/o-sioradain.php
  4. Sheridan — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/sheridan.php
  5. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  6. Richard Brinsley Sheridan — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RichardBrinsleySheridan.php
  7. Thomas Sheridan (actor and author) — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ThomasSheridanActorandAuthor.php
  8. Bishop William Sheridan — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/BishopWilliamSheridan.php
  9. Frances Sheridan — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/FrancesSheridan.php
  10. Registration Province of Ulster (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/ulster-names.php

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