Show ContentsSharrie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of Sharrie was Ó Foghladha, derived from the word "foghladha," which means "plunderer." 1

Early Origins of the Sharrie family

The surname Sharrie was first found in Waterford (Irish: Port Láirge), anciently the Deise region, on the South coast of Ireland in the Province of Munster, in southern Ireland where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Sharrie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sharrie research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1131, 1580, 1617, 1624, 1644, 1651, 1655, 1657, 1659, 1673, 1676, 1677, 1694, 1695, 1699, 1702, 1712 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Sharrie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sharrie Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Sharrie family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Foley, MacSharry, Foaley, Foli, Fooley, Sharry, Sharrie, McSharry, MacSharey, McSharey, Foalie, Foolie, Fowlie and many more.

Early Notables of the Sharrie family

Notable among the family name at this time was Richard Foley (1580-1657), English ironmaster, best known from the folktale of "Fiddler Foley"; Thomas Foley (1617-1677), an English ironmaster and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1659 and 1677; Robert Foley (1624-1676), of Stourbridge, regarded as the most important ironmaster of his time in the west Midlands; and his son...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sharrie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sharrie family

During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Sharrie family in North America: Bryan Foley who purchased land in Virginia in 1714; followed by James Foley in 1770; the Foleys also settled in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.


Contemporary Notables of the name Sharrie (post 1700) +

  • Sharrie Kay Galt, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Montana, 2012 2


The Sharrie 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: Ut prosim
Motto Translation: That I may be of use.


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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