Show ContentsSheil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Sheil

What does the name Sheil mean?

This name was anglicized from Ó Siadhail in Gaelic, meaning an 'ancestor of Siadhail' (the prefix Ó denotes 'grandfather of'). Siadhail has been translated to mean 'sloth' or 'sluggishness'. As this name is descriptive of its original bearer, it is considered to be a nickname. However, many Irish of this name originally came from England or Scotland where the name Shields is derived from an Old English word meaning 'shed' or 'hut' - a somewhat more flattering meaning.

Early Origins of the Sheil family

The surname Sheil was first found in the Ulster region counties of Donegal, Derry, Antrim and Down. This family are reputed to be descendents of the great King Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Early History of the Sheil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sheil research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1545, 1548, 1677, 1693, 1698, 1745, 1800, 1879, 1886 and 1949 are included under the topic Early Sheil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sheil Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Shiel, Sheilles, Sheild, Sheill, Sheels, Sheils, Sheil, Shield, Shields, Shieles, Shiels, Shiells, Shielles, Shiell, Sheills, Sheilds and many more.

Early Notables of the Sheil family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Luke O'Shiell (1677-1745), Irish Jacobite, born in Dublin who emigrated to Nantes, France after the Irish defeat, father of Mary O'Shiell, a French-Irish businessperson in Nantes and her sisters Agnés O'Shiell and Anne O'Shiell, founder of the family manor of the O'Shiell, Manoir de la Placelière, which became the gathering place of the large Irish colony in Nantes; Michael...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sheil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Sheil migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sheil Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Lawrence, Catherine, and Jane Sheil (l), who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1850

Sheil migration to Australia +

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

Sheil Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Patrick Sheil, (b. 1806), aged 25, Irish farm servant who was convicted in County Laois (Queen's County), Ireland for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 5th November 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 1
  • Mary A. Sheil, aged 20, a cook, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Coromandel" 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Sheil (post 1700) +

  • Bernard James Sheil (1888-1969), American Auxiliary Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago
  • Walter N. "Wally" Sheil (1929-2002), American education administrator and politician
  • Dennis R. Sheil, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Westchester County 1st District, 1875 3
  • Sir Justin Sheil (1803-1871), Irish general and diplomatist, son of Edward Sheil, and brother of Richard Lalor Sheil, born at Bellevue House, near Waterford
  • Richard Lalor Sheil (1791-1851), Irish politician, writer and orator, born at Drumdowney, co. Kilkenny, the eldest son of Edward Sheil and Catherine MacCarthy of Spring House, co. Tipperary
  • Edward Sheil (1851-1915), Irish nationalist politician
  • Norman Leslie Sheil (1932-2018), British two-time gold medalist racing cyclist from Liverpool
  • Ainslie Glenister Ross Sheil (b. 1933), Australian rugby union player
  • Kate Sheil, Australian stage and television actress
  • Laurence Bonaventure Sheil (1815-1872), Australian clergyman and the third Bishop of Adelaide
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Michael S. Sheil, English Saloon Steward from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 4


The Sheil 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: Omne solum forti patria
Motto Translation: Every land is a native country to a brave man


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
  2. South Australian Register Tuesday 9th January 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Coromandel 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/coromandel1855.shtml
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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