Shanleigh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The family name Shanleigh has an intrinsic connection to the Gaelic culture of Ireland. This east Connacht sept gathered their original Gaelic form of the name Shanleigh is Mac Seanlaoich, which is derived from the words "sean," meaning "old," and "laoch," meaning "hero."

Early Origins of the Shanleigh family

The surname Shanleigh was first found in Leitrim (Irish: Liatroim) anciently the western half of the kingdom of Breifne, located in Northeastern Ireland, in Leinster province, where they held a family seat in that county, some say, well before the 10th century.

Early History of the Shanleigh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shanleigh research. Another 198 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1404, 1473 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Shanleigh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shanleigh Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, was what guided scribes and church officials in recording names, a practice that often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Shanleigh are preserved in documents that were examined for evidence of the family's history. The various spellings of Shanleigh included Shanley, Shanly, MacShanley, McShanley, MacShanly and many more.

Early Notables of the Shanleigh family

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

Migration of the Shanleigh family

North America received thousands of Irish immigrants from the English-ruled Ireland during the 19th century. Once in the United States or what would become Canada, these immigrants quickly contributed to the ongoing settling and industrialization processes. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. An exhaustive examination of immigrant and passenger lists has shown many early immigrants bearing the surname of Shanleigh: Thomas Shanley, who settled in Charles Town, SC in 1767; Bernardo Shanly, who settled in Mississippi in 1789; James D. Shanley, who settled in Philadelphia in 1819.

The Shanleigh 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: Pro patria et religione
Motto Translation: For country and religion