Show ContentsShinkle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Shinkle surname originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Sionnaigh, which is derived from "sionnach," which means "fox." 1

Early Origins of the Shinkle family

The surname Shinkle was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat. This most ancient Irish surname is derived from Sionnach, the Fox, an epithet used by the Chief of the Irish Cathernaigh Clann, a branch of the northern Ui Fiachrach.

However, some of the family were found in England in early days and there, the name was an occupational name for a Shinner or Skinner from the Old English word "scinn" meaning "skin." 2 There we found John le Scinner in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 in Cambridgeshire; Geoffrey le Schinner in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; and John Schynnere in Hampshire in 1305. 2

The shortened form of the name Shinn or Shynn was first found in Suffolk in the Pipe Rolls of 1165 where Herveus Schinn was listed. Hugo Scin was later found in the Pipe Rolls for Herefordshire in 1190. 2

Early History of the Shinkle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shinkle research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1845 is included under the topic Early Shinkle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shinkle Spelling Variations

Individual scribes in the Ireland during the Middle Ages would often record a person's name various ways. How the name was recorded depended on what that particular scribe believed the proper spelling for the name pronounced to him was. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the Shinkle family name include Shiner, Shinner, Shunny, Shunagh, Shunnagh, Shinnick, Shinnock, Shinick and many more.

Early Notables of the Shinkle family

More information is included under the topic Early Shinkle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shinkle Ranking

In the United States, the name Shinkle is the 17,143rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3


United States Shinkle migration to the United States +

In the late 18th century, Irish families began emigrating to North America in the search of a plot of land to call their own. This pattern of emigration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s cause thousands of Irish to flee the death and disease that accompanied the disaster. Those that made it alive to the shores of the United States and British North America (later to become Canada) were, however, instrumental in the development of those two powerful nations. Many of these Irish immigrants proudly bore the name of Shinkle:

Shinkle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Helen I. Shinkle, aged 27, arrived in New York in 1895 aboard the ship "Majestic (1890)" from Liverpool, England 4
Shinkle Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Robert C. Shinkle, aged 34, arrived in New York in 1915 aboard the ship "Oceana" from Bermuda 4
  • Madge M. Shinkle, aged 30, arrived in New York in 1915 aboard the ship "Oceana" from Bermuda 4
  • Frances Shinkle, aged 19, destined for Cincinnati, Ohio, arrived in New York in 1922 aboard the ship "Kroonland" from Southampton, England 4
  • Ann Shinkle, aged 17,destined for Cincinnati, Ohio, arrived in New York in 1923 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Liverpool, England 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Shinkle (post 1700) +

  • Brigadier-General Edward Marsh Shinkle (1878-1966), American Commanding Officer Ogden Arsenal, Utah in 1942 5
  • Norman D. Shinkle (b. 1950), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State Senate 11th District, 1983-90; Defeated, 1990; Chair of Ingham County Republican Party, 2007 6


  1. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  5. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Edward Shinkle. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Shinkle/Edward_Marsh/USA.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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