Shanahan Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Shanahan last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Shanahan last name
Meaning of the Shanahan last name: descendant of Seanchán (old, wise). Shanahan is an Irish surname from Ó Seanacháin, from seanchán, a diminutive of sean, "old" or "wise". The family belonged to Clare, then spread into Limerick, Tipperary and Cork. The last name remains strongest in Munster. Emigrants took it to America, Australia and New Zealand.
Arms associated with the Shanahan name
Coats of arms associated with the Shanahan surname follow Irish heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Shanahan family history
This is only a glimpse of the Shanahan story. The full Shanahan history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Shanahan coat of arms. Get the full Shanahan report.
Shanahan name FAQ
What does the Shanahan name mean?
Descendant of Seanchán (old, wise). Common variants include Shannahan, O'Shanahan.
Where does the Shanahan surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Shanahan coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Shanahan coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Patrick Woulfe, Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames (1923).