Sheagan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

Etymology of Sheagan

What does the name Sheagan mean?

The spelling and overall form of Irish names tend to vary widely. The original Gaelic form of the name Sheagan 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 Sheagan family

The surname Sheagan was first found in County Limerick (Irish: Luimneach) located in Southwestern Ireland, in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. 2

In England, the earliest record of the family was Robert Schene who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Somerset in 1226. John de Schene was listed in Cornwall in 1297. 1

Early History of the Sheagan family

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

Sheagan Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, was what guided scribes and church officials in recording names, a practice that often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Sheagan are preserved in documents that were examined for evidence of the family's history. The various spellings of Sheagan included Sheehan, Sheeham, Sheahan, O'Sheehan, Sheagan and many more.

Early Notables of the Sheagan family

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

Sheagan migration to the United States +

In the 18th and 19th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants landed on North American shores. Although many of them were merely looking for a free plot of land and living of their very own, many later immigrants were desperately fleeing an overcrowded land that did not have sufficient food for its inhabitants. The exodus from Ireland was greatest during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine had stricken the island. Although this large influx of Irish was unpopular with the great majority of people already established within the major centers, these Irish were critical to the speedy development of the United States and those colonies that would eventually become known as Canada. These immigrants provided the cheap labor required to build modern roads, bridges, canals, and railways. Research of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of immigrants to North America baring the name of Sheagan:

Sheagan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cornelius Sheagan who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1842

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)