Shiell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

This name was anglicized from Ó Siadhail in Gaelic, meaning an 'ancestor of Siadhail' (the prefix Ó denotes 'grandfather of'). Siadhail has been translated to mean 'sloth' or 'sluggishness'. As this name is descriptive of its original bearer, it is considered to be a nickname. However, many Irish of this name originally came from England or Scotland where the name Shields is derived from an Old English word meaning 'shed' or 'hut' - a somewhat more flattering meaning.

Early Origins of the Shiell family

The surname Shiell was first found in the Ulster region counties of Donegal, Derry, Antrim and Down. This family are reputed to be descendents of the great King Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Early History of the Shiell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shiell research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1545, 1548, 1677, 1693, 1698, 1745, 1800, 1879, 1886 and 1949 are included under the topic Early Shiell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shiell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Shiel, Sheilles, Sheild, Sheill, Sheels, Sheils, Sheil, Shield, Shields, Shieles, Shiels, Shiells, Shielles, Shiell, Sheills, Sheilds and many more.

Early Notables of the Shiell family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Luke O'Shiell (1677-1745), Irish Jacobite, born in Dublin who emigrated to Nantes, France after the Irish defeat, father of Mary O'Shiell, a French-Irish businessperson in Nantes and her sisters Agné...
Michael Shiell OFM, (fl. 1693-1698), Guardian (religious superior) of Killeigh

Shiell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shiell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Shiell, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 1

Shiell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Shiell, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 1

Shiell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Shiell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Emily Shiell, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Anne Longton" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th October 1857 2
Mr. Thomas W. Shiell, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Anne Longton" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th October 1857 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Shiell (post 1700) +

Jason Alexander Shiell (b. 1976), American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played from 2002 to 2006
Maisie Shiell (1916-2008), Canadian anti-nuclear activist, awarded the Saskatchewan Eco-Network award for Environmentalist of the Year in 2002

The Shiell Motto +

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: Omne solum forti patria
Motto Translation: Every land is a native country to a brave man

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html