Show ContentsSheale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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 Sheale family

The surname Sheale 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 Sheale family

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

Sheale 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 Sheale 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 Agnés O'Shiell and Anne O'Shiell, founder of the family manor of the O'Shiell, Manoir de la Placelière, which became the gathering place of the large Irish colony in Nantes; Michael...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sheale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Sheale migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sheale Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Sheale, who landed in Maryland in 1650 1


The Sheale 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


  1. 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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