O'Shea
An Anglicized Irish surname from a Gaelic personal name meaning “hawk-like” or “stately,” now best known through the O’Shea family name.
The #3,395 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,318 Americans shares it.
Etymology
O'Shea is the Anglicized form of Irish Ó Séaghdha, meaning “descendant of Séaghdha.” The personal name Séaghdha is usually taken to mean “stately,” “hawk-like,” or “fine,” depending on the interpretation of the old Gaelic root. In English spelling the apostrophe is often retained as O'Shea, though the older Gaelic form had the prefix Ó.
History
The name is strongly associated with Ireland, especially the southwest, and has long been established in Irish records in various spellings. Like many Irish surnames, it became standardized in English through Anglicization, with O'Shea becoming the common modern form. The surname is now widespread in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The medieval Gaelic prefix Ó means “descendant of,” so the surname originally identified a family line rather than a place or occupation.
From the historical record
“Talmon, Shema, Sheshan, Zopher, Barzillai, Nahon, Ahw- jah, Hijah (Ahijah), Ahiah, Ziba, Bohan, Beriah, Achan, Bassa, Oshea, Joshua, Josue, Nun, Caleb, Gideon, Abdon, ♦"Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, moon, In the valley of”
— A Grammar of American Surnames