Surname Shiel - Meaning and Origin
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Shiel: What does the surname Shiel mean?
The surname Shiel is of Irish origin and derives from the Gaelic name "O'Siadhail," which translates to "descendant of Siadhal." The term "Siadhal" is said to mean "peaceful" or "gentle." Therefore, the last name Shiel traditionally could signify a peaceful or gentle lineage. This name has been anglicized over time, and variations of the surname can include Sheilds, Shields, Shiel, Shiell, and Shiells. It is common in counties such as Galway and Roscommon in Ireland. As with many surnames, geographical and regional spread over centuries has resulted in the surname being found in many countries around the world today. Due to this geographic diffusion, the name's precise meaning may vary or have additional interpretations within different cultures and languages.
Order DNA origin analysisShiel: Where does the name Shiel come from?
The surname Shiel is an anglicized form of the Irish name O'Siadhail and it is most commonly found in Ireland and Scotland today. In Ireland, the name is particularly common in the counties of Wexford, Tipperary, Longford, Cork, and Monaghan. The name is thought to have originated from the ancient Irish kingdom of Uí Fáilghe, which was located in present day County Longford. In Scotland, the name is most commonly found on the island of Skye, as well as in the west coast counties of Argyll and Bute as well as the counties of Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Inverness-shire and Kinross-shire.
The name Shiel is also found in other parts of the world, with the diaspora of Gaelic speakers in past centuries having spread the name to Europe, North America, South America and Australia. In the United States, it is most commonly found in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. In Canada, the name is typically found in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
In Australia, the largest population of Shiel can be found in Victoria, with smaller numbers in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
The name is amongst the most common Gaelic surnames in the world today, with an estimated 70,000 people having the surname in Europe alone.
Variations of the surname Shiel
The surname Shiel has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variant spelling of Shiel is Sheil, though the most common spelling is Shanahan. Other spellings include Sheehan, Shieles, Shiels, and Sheils.
The most common English ancestor for these variants is the Celtic name O'Sheehan, derived from the Gaelic Ó Siodhacháin, meaning “descendant of Siodhachán”. In Scotland, the Gaelic form of the name is O'Seaghdha.
The Gaelic name was anglicized to various spellings upon arrival in Ireland and Scotland in the mid-sixteenth century. The spellings gradually varied into common family-names such as Shanahan, Shieles, Shiels, Sheil, Sheehan, and Sheils, with Shiel being the most popular spelling in the UK and Ireland.
The Sheils variant is of mixed origin and is possibly a corruption of the Irish Ó Shealaigh, which means “descendant of the Stormy One”, derived from the Gaelic word seileach. This spelling could also derive from the English Sills, which comes from the Old English segle, meaning “marsh” or “fen”. The Sheils variant is more common in America today, with Shiel being the most popular spelling in the UK and Ireland.
Finally, Shiel can also be derived from the German Schiller, which is a habitational name for someone from Schillerstadt or Schillerrin, meaning “City or town of Schiller”. This name likely derives from the Germanic “son of Siegfried” or “son of the victorious one”.
Famous people with the name Shiel
- Joshua Shiel: DJ and music producer
- Kirstie Shiel: Scottish actress
- David Shiel: British television broadcast journalist
- Jack Shiel: Australian professional sailor
- Samuel Alexander Shiel: 19th century Irish-born American author
- David Shiel: 19th century Canadian militia officer
- William Shiel: English cricket player
- Anne Shiel: Irish sculptor and painter
- Angus Shiel: Scottish soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Brian Shiel: file from the Irish War of independence