Shanahan - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Seanacháin
Meaning: “old, wise”
Traditional stronghold: Clare, Limerick
Pronunciation: SHAN-a-han; Irish Ó Seanacháin: oh SHAN-uh-khawn
History of the Shanahan name
The Shanahans descend from Ó Seanacháin, a Dalcassian sept of Thomond whose name comes from seanach, meaning 'old' or 'wise'. They held territory in east Clare as kinsmen of the O'Briens and the other Dál gCais families, but their local power was broken in the upheavals that followed the Norman invasion, and from the fourteenth century the family scattered southwards. By early modern times Shanahans were most numerous in Limerick, Tipperary, Cork and Kerry, where the name remains strongest today. In anglicisation the O prefix was almost entirely dropped, and in some districts the name was further compressed to Shannon, so that not every Shannon family is named for the river.
Variants: Shanaghan · Shanihan · O'Shanahan · Shannon (sometimes)
Famous bearers of the name
- Dan Shanahan - Waterford hurling forward, Hurler of the Year in 2007.
- Brendan Shanahan - Irish-Canadian NHL Hall of Famer and three-time Stanley Cup winner.
- Mike Shanahan - American football coach who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · Ryan · Kennedy · Quinn · Collins · Fitzgerald · McDonnell · McMahon