Show ContentsSines History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Sines family

The surname Sines was first found in County Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman), founded by Vikings as Waesfjord, and located in Southeastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster. "Descended from an honourable stock, of Norman extraction. They were possessed of lands in Ireland from the time of the Invasion, and in the county where they first found footing." 1 They claim descent from the Marquis of Lusignan, whose descendants came into England, at or soon after the Norman Conquest.

Early History of the Sines family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sines research. Another 191 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1344 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Sines History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sines Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often simply spelled names as they sounded. As a result, a single person's name may have been recorded a dozen different ways during his lifetime. Spelling variations for the name Sines include: Sinnot, Sinnott, Sinnet, Sinnett, Sinot, Sinott and many more.

Early Notables of the Sines family

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

Sines Ranking

In the United States, the name Sines is the 7,940th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Sines migration to the United States +

Ireland went through one of the most devastating periods in its history with the arrival of the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. Many also lost their lives from typhus, fever and dysentery. And poverty was the general rule as tenant farmers were often evicted because they could not pay the high rents. Emigration to North America gave hundreds of families a chance at a life where work, freedom, and land ownership were all possible. For those who made the long journey, it meant hope and survival. The Irish emigration to British North America and the United States opened up the gates of industry, commerce, education and the arts. Early immigration and passenger lists have shown many Irish people bearing the name Sines:

Sines Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Philip Sines, who landed in Maryland in 1671 3
Sines Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • John Sines, aged 30, who landed in America from London, England, in 1910
  • Mary Sines, aged 48, who landed in America, in 1913
  • Shelton Sines, aged 53, who settled in America, in 1913
  • Harry E. Sines, aged 43, who immigrated to America, in 1919
  • John J. Sines, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Sines (post 1700) +

  • Ray Sines, American politician, member of the Ohio House of Representatives (1989 to 1996)


The Sines 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: Sin not
Motto Translation: If not


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)


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