Shannley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

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

Early Origins of the Shannley family

The surname Shannley 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 Shannley family

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

Shannley Spelling Variations

In the days before Gaelic or English gained any significant semblance of standardization, the scribes who created documents simply recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research into the Shannley family history revealed numerous spelling variations of the name, including Shanley, Shanly, MacShanley, McShanley, MacShanly and many more.

Early Notables of the Shannley family

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

Migration of the Shannley family

In the 18th and 19th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants landed on North American shores. Although many of them were merely looking for a free plot of land and living of their very own, many later immigrants were desperately fleeing an overcrowded land that did not have sufficient food for its inhabitants. The exodus from Ireland was greatest during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine had stricken the island. Although this large influx of Irish was unpopular with the great majority of people already established within the major centers, these Irish were critical to the speedy development of the United States and those colonies that would eventually become known as Canada. These immigrants provided the cheap labor required to build modern roads, bridges, canals, and railways. Research of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of immigrants to North America baring the name of Shannley: 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 Shannley 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