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An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2012
Shea Family Crest
Shea Family Crest
Shea

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Contents

Origins Available: English, Irish

Where did the English Shea family come from? What is the English Shea family crest and coat of arms? When did the Shea family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the Shea family history?

Shea is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived near a small wood or shaw. Shea is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. The surname Shea is believed to be derived from the Old English word sceaga, which means dweller by the wood.

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Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Shea family name include Shaw, Shawe, Shave, Sheaves, Shaves, Shay, Shayes and many more.

First found in Berkshire, where they were established in the 12th century.


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This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shea research. Another 273 words(20 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1281, 1307, 1780, and 1815 are included under the topic Early Shea History in all our PDF Extended History products.

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Another 21 words(2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shea Notables in all our PDF Extended History products.

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Some of the Shea family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 161 words(12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products.

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For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Shea surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Shea Settlers in the United States in the 17th Century


  • Jone Shea, who landed in Maryland in 1678
  • Nicholas Shea, who landed in Maryland in 1678

Shea Settlers in the United States in the 18th Century


  • Edward Shea, who arrived in Virginia in 1703
  • Luke Shea, who arrived in Baltimore, Md in 1720
  • Timothy Shea, who arrived in Boston, Mass in 1766
  • James Shea, who landed in America in 1794

Shea Settlers in the United States in the 19th Century


  • Philip Shea, who landed in America in 1801
  • Peter Shea, who arrived in America in 1803
  • Mary Shea, who landed in Massachusetts in 1813
  • Michael Shea, who arrived in New York, NY in 1838
  • Jeremiah Shea, who landed in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1842


Shea Settlers in the United States in the 20th Century


  • Mike Shea, who landed in Arkansas in 1902
  • Will Shea, who landed in Arkansas in 1906

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  • Cornelius P. Shea (1872-1929), American labor leader
  • John Shea (b. 1949), Emmy award winning American actor
  • Robert Joseph Shea (1933-1994), American author
  • John Joseph Shea, American Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, eponym of the USS Shea (DM-30)
  • Joseph Francis Shea, NASA manager & aerospace engineer
  • Second Lieutenant Charles W Shea, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944


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  • Shay Families with Roots in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania by Thomas P. Shay.
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The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vincit qui patitur
Motto Translation: He conquers who endures.

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  1. Le Patourel, John. The Norman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-19-822525-3).
  2. Humble, Richard. The Fall of Saxon England. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-987-8).
  3. Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
  4. Browning, Charles H. Americans of Royal Descent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
  5. Hitching, F.K and S. Hitching. References to English Surnames in 1601-1602. Walton On Thames: 1910. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0181-3).
  6. Cook, Chris. English Historical Facts 1603-1688. London: MacMillan, 1980. Print.
  7. Burke, Sir Bernard. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry: Including American Families with British Ancestry. (2 Volumes). London: Burke Publishing, 1939. Print.
  8. Foster, Joseph. Dictionary of Heraldry Feudal Coats of Arms and Pedigrees. London: Bracken Books, 1989. Print. (ISBN 1-85170-309-8).
  9. Best, Hugh. Debrett's Texas Peerage. New York: Coward-McCann, 1983. Print. (ISBN 069811244X).
  10. Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
  11. ...

The Shea Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Shea Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 31 January 2012 at 13:43.

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