Osullivan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland-Alt 
  Ireland 
  England 


The old Gaelic name used by the Osullivan family in Ireland was Ó Suileabhain, which is partially derived from the word "suil," which means "eye." The surname probably means either one-eyed or hawk-eyed.

Early Origins of the Osullivan family

The surname Osullivan was first found in the territory of Cahir in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster. The Sullivan spelling is by far the most common name in Munster, and is predominantly found in the counties of Cork and Kerry, with a smaller but still significant population in County Limerick. 1

Early History of the Osullivan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Osullivan research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1560, 1590, 1618, 1660, 1700, 1710, 1745, 1784 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Osullivan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Osullivan Spelling Variations

Official documents, crafted by early scribes and church officials, primarily contained names that were spelled according to their pronunciation. This lead to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations, creating an illusion that a single person was many people. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Osullivan that are preserved in the archival documents of the time are O'Sullivan, Sullivan and others.

Early Notables of the Osullivan family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Donall O'Sullivan Beare (1560-1618), Chief of the sept of his name in the district of Beare, co. Cork, who "engaged actively in the hostile movements in Ireland against the government of England in the last years of Queen Elizabeth." 2 Phillip O'Sullivan Beare (1590-1660), was a soldier in the Spanish army who is best remembered as a historian; and Colonel John O'Sullivan (b. 1700) was a companion to the "Young Pretender" who led the Irish Brigade at Culloden in 1745. Owen Roe O'Sulliavan (1700?-1784) was Gaelic poet, called in Irish Eoghan Ruadh, or Red-haired...
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Osullivan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Osullivan World Ranking

In the United States, the name Osullivan is the 3,853rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3 However, in Australia, the name Osullivan is ranked the 329th most popular surname with an estimated 10,905 people with that name. 4 And in New Zealand, the name Osullivan is the 278th popular surname with an estimated 2,199 people with that name. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Osullivan as 546th with 11,889 people. 6


Osullivan migration to the United States +

In the 18th and 19th centuries hundreds of thousands of Irish people immigrated to North American shores. The early settlers were enticed by the promise of their own land, but they were moderately well off in Ireland when they decided to emigrate. Therefore, they were merely carrying out a long and carefully thought out decision. The 1840s saw the emergence of a very different trend: thousands of extremely desperate people crammed into passenger boats hoping to find any type of opportunity. The Irish of this decade had seen their homeland severely stricken by crop failures which resulted in widespread disease and starvation. At whatever time the Irish immigrants came to North America, they were instrumental in the rapid development of the emerging nations of the United States and what would become known as Canada. An exhaustive search of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many persons bearing the name Osullivan, or one of its variants:

Osullivan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Osullivan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Osullivan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Osullivan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Osullivan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Osullivan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Osullivan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Osullivan (post 1700) +


The Osullivan 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: Lamh foistenach abú
Motto Translation: The steady hand to victory.
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