O'Cheen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of O'Cheen

The spelling and overall form of Irish names tend to vary widely. The original Gaelic form of the name O'Cheen is Ó Siodhachain, which may be derived from "siodhach," which means "peaceful."

While most of the family claim Ireland as their ancient homeland, England may be an origin of the family too, as Sheen can be found in Surrey and Staffordshire. 1

Early Origins of the O'Cheen family

Early History of the O'Cheen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Cheen research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Cheen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Cheen Spelling Variations

Ireland in the Middle Ages was inhabited by very few literate people. Therefore, the proper spelling of names was decided by a very select few. The surviving records for the time demonstrate that these scribes were often not consistent in their efforts for there are many spelling variations of certain common names. Some of the variations for the name O'Cheen include Sheehan, Sheeham, Sheahan, O'Sheehan, Sheagan and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Cheen family

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

Migration of the O'Cheen family

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the late 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape such hunger and disease. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name O'Cheen: Cornelius Sheagan who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1842; John, Morris and Thomas Sheehan arrived in Philadelphia between 1850 and 1870; Denis Sheeham arrived in Maryland in 1774.