O'Shiel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland
England

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 O'Shiel family

The surname O'Shiel 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 O'Shiel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Shiel 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 O'Shiel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Shiel 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 O'Shiel 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...

Migration of the O'Shiel family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Reverend Archibald Shields, who led the first Virginian settlement and also held estates in Jamaica; Thomas Shield, who settled in Virginia in 1638; Walter Shield, who settled there in 1650.

Contemporary Notables of the name O'Shiel (post 1700) +

Kevin Roantree O'Shiel (1891-1970), Irish politician and civil servant who was involved in drawing up the Constitution of Ireland and liaised with the League of Nations

The O'Shiel 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