Shanahan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 


The surname Shanahan is originally a name that appeared in Gaelic as Ó Seanachain, which is derived from the word "sean," meaning "old."

Early Origins of the Shanahan family

The surname Shanahan was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Shanahan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shanahan research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1318, 1802, 1863, 1877, 1916 and 1937 are included under the topic Early Shanahan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shanahan Spelling Variations

Numerous spelling variations of the surname Shanahan exist. A partial explanation for these variants is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Shanahan, O'Shanahan, Shahan, Shannon, Gilshenan and many more.

Early Notables of the Shanahan family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shanahan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shanahan Ranking

In the United States, the name Shanahan is the 4,816th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Shanahan migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Shanahan:

Shanahan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Shanahan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Shanahan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shanahan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Shanahan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Shanahan migration to Australia +

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

Shanahan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Shanahan 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:

Shanahan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Shanahan (post 1700) +
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