O'Sullivant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of O'Sullivant

The old Gaelic name used by the O'Sullivant 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 O'Sullivant family

Early History of the O'Sullivant family

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

O'Sullivant Spelling Variations

Irish names recorded during the Middle Ages are characterized by many spelling variations. This preponderance of variations for common names can be explained by the fact that the scribes and church officials that kept records during that period individually decided how to capture one's name. These recorders primarily based their decisions on how the name was pronounced or what it meant. Research into the name O'Sullivant revealed many variations, including O'Sullivan, Sullivan and others.

Early Notables of the O'Sullivant family

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 Sullivan, was born about 1700 in Slieve Luachra, co...
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Sullivant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Sullivant family

A great wave of Irish migration occurred during the 19th century as a direct result of English colonial rule and tight-fisted absentee landlords. Many of these Irish immigrants boarded passenger ships bound for North America. Those who migrated early enough were given land in either British North America or the United States; those who came in the late 19th century were typically employed in industrial centers as laborers. At whatever age they undertook the dangerous passage to North America, those Irish immigrants were essential to the speedy development of the two infant nations to which they arrived, whether they broke and settled land, helped build canals, bridges, and railroads, or produced products for consumer consumption. An examination of immigration and passenger lists has uncovered a large number of immigrants bearing the name O'Sullivant or one of its variants: Andrew, Arthur, Daniel, Denis, John, Michael, Patrick, Simon, Timothy and William O'Sullivan, who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.