Show ContentsSullivan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Sullivan

What does the name Sullivan mean?

The old Gaelic name used by the Sullivan 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 Sullivan family

The surname Sullivan was first found in the territory of Cahir in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster. The Sullivan spelling is by far the most common name in Munster, and is predominantly found in the counties of Cork and Kerry, with a smaller but still significant population in County Limerick.

Early History of the Sullivan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sullivan research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1590, 1660, 1700, 1745, 1748, 1784 and 1837 are included under the topic Early Sullivan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sullivan Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: O'Sullivan, Sullivan and others.

Early Notables of the Sullivan family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • Phillip O'Sullivan Beare (1590-1660), soldier in the Spanish army who is best remembered as a historian
  • Colonel John O'Sullivan (b. 1700) companion to the "Young Pretender" who led the Irish Brigade at Culloden in 1745

Sullivan World Ranking

In the United States, the name Sullivan is the 105th most popular surname with an estimated 201,447 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Sullivan is ranked the 266th most popular surname with an estimated 15,691 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Sullivan is the 106th popular surname with an estimated 318 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Sullivan as 134th with 20,412 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Sullivan as 238th with 2,476 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Sullivan as 288th with 21,142 people. 6


Sullivan migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sullivan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jael Sullivan, who landed in Massachusetts in 1654 7
  • Onoris Sullivan, who landed in Virginia in 1656 7
  • Teage Sullivan, who arrived in Maryland in 1658 7
  • Florence Sullivan, who arrived in South Carolina in 1669 7
  • Jeremy Sullivan, who landed in Maryland in 1670 7
Sullivan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Alice Sullivan, who landed in Virginia in 1715 7
  • Joan Sullivan, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 7
  • Austis Sullivan, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 7
  • Honour Sullivan, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 7
  • David Sullivan, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1765 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Sullivan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Corn Sullivan, aged 17, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 7
  • Dennis H Sullivan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1811 7
  • Sylvester Sullivan, aged 21, who landed in New York in 1812 7
  • Silvester Sullivan, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1812 7
  • Michael J Sullivan, aged 15, who arrived in America in 1822 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Sullivan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Frank Sullivan, who landed in Mississippi in 1902 7

Sullivan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sullivan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Daniel Sullivan, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Daniel Sullivan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Dennis Sullivan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
  • Darby Sullivan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
  • Michael Sullivan, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Sullivan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Sullivan, who arrived in Quebec in 1803
  • John Sullivan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1808
  • John Sullivan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1813
  • Patrick Sullivan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1813
  • James Sullivan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1819
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sullivan migration to Australia +

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

Sullivan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Michael Sullivan, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1802 8
  • Mr. Patrick Sullivan, Irish convict who was convicted in Kerry, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Mr. Dennis Sullivan, British Convict who was convicted in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Miss Mary Sullivan, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Mr. Timothy Sullivan, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sullivan 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:

Sullivan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Edward Sullivan, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1836
  • John Sullivan, who landed in Mahurangi, Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • Ellen Sullivan, aged 29, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1842
  • John Sullivan, aged 10, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1842
  • Daniel Sullivan, aged 8, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1842
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Sullivan (post 1700) +

  • Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan (1901-1974), American entertainment writer and television host, best known for the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show which ran for 23 years
  • Leon Howard Sullivan (1922-2001), American Baptist minister, civil rights leader and social activist, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (1842-1900), English composer, best known for collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado
  • Kevin Francis Sullivan (1949-2024), American professional wrestler and booker, known for his role in World Championship Wrestling
  • Samantha "Sammy" Sullivan (b. 1998), American rugby sevens player, who competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics
  • Gordon Russell Sullivan (1937-2024), United States Army general, 32nd Chief of Staff of the Army and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Leo D. Sullivan (1940-2023), American writer and Emmy Award winning director of animated films, and a pioneer in black animation, known for his work with Bob Clampett Productions, inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1991
  • John Peter Sullivan (1941-2023), American Major League Baseball catcher and coach from Somerville, New Jersey
  • Dennis Parnell Sullivan (b. 1941), American mathematician awarded the Wolf Prize in Mathematics in 2010 and the Abel Prize in 2022
  • Raymond J. "Ray" Sullivan Jr. (1977-2021), American politician, member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011 where he served as the deputy majority leader
  • ... (Another 40 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Flight 191
  • Nancy T Sullivan (d. 1979), American from San Diego, California, USA, aged 32, who worked aboard American Airlines Flight 191 and died in the crash 11
Grover Shoe factory
  • Mr. John N. Sullivan, American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; he died 12
Halifax Explosion
  • Miss Helen  Sullivan (1910-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 13
  • Miss Ethel  Sullivan (1912-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 13
  • Mr. Daniel  Sullivan (1877-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 13
  • Mrs. Mary  Sullivan (1879-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 13
  • Mr. Gerald  Sullivan (1914-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 13
  • ... (Another 3 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Frank D Sullivan (b. 1906), English Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Ilkestone, Derbyshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 14
  • Mr. Albert Sullivan (b. 1911), English Stoker Petty Officer serving for the Royal Navy from Manchester, Lancashire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 14
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Sullivan, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15
Monongah Mine
  • Mr. Jake Sullivan (b. 1881), Polish coal miner who was in mine 8 at the Monongah Mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 16
Pemberton Mill
  • Miss Margaret Sullivan, factory worker in the Pemberton Mill on 10th January 1860 when the mill collapsed trapping 900 workers as rescue attempts continued into the night, an oil lantern was knocked over further engulfing the trapped workers in fire, she died
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Florence Sullivan, Irish 2nd Class passenger residing in Boston, Massachusetts, USA returning to Ireland, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 17
  • Mrs. Julia Sullivan, Irish 2nd Class passenger residing in Boston, Massachusetts, USA returning to Ireland, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 17
  • Mr. George Sullivan, American 2nd Class passenger from Groton, Connecticut, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 18
  • Mrs. Emily Sullivan, American 2nd Class passenger from Groton, Connecticut, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 18
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. S. Sullivan, aged 25, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 9 19
Senghenydd colliery
  • Mr. Patrick Sullivan (b. 1876), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 20
  • Mr. William Sullivan (b. 1878), Welsh coal miner from Penyrheol, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 20
SS Atlantic
  • Cornelius Sullivan, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking
  • M. Sullivan, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking
  • Michael Sullivan, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking
  • Patrick Sullivan, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking
  • Ellen Sullivan, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
  • ... (Another 4 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
SS Caribou
  • Mr. Arthur Adrian Sullivan (b. 1915), British passenger who was Seargent P.E.I. Highlanders from Summerside, Prince Edward Island was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Aubry R. Sullivan, American Coxswain working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 21
USS Indianapolis
  • James Patrick Sullivan, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 22
  • William Daniel Sullivan, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 22


The Sullivan 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: Lamh foistenach abú
Motto Translation: The steady hand to victory.


Suggested Readings for the name Sullivan +

  • Wild Bill Sullivan, King of the Hollow by Ann Hammons.
  • Adam's Ancestors by Thomas Nathan Clark.

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  6. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  11. Flight 191's Victims - latimes. (Retrieved 2014, April 16) . Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-04/news/mn-4349_1_fort-lauderdale-area
  12. California Digital Newspaper from 21st March 1905 (retrieved on 5th August 2021.) Retrieved from https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19050321.2.19&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
  13. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  14. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  15. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  16. Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).
  17. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  18. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  19. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  20. Universal Colliery Senghenydd 1913 disaster retrieved 21st September 2019, retrieved from http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/deathrolls/SenghenyddDead1913.htm
  21. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
  22. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


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