Find out how popular the last name O'Shea is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named O'Shea.

O'Shea, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the O'Shea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Shea in America

O'Shea is the 3395th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Shea surname appeared 10,531 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname O'Shea.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Shea to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name O'Shea

The surname OSHEA originated in Ireland, with its earliest roots traced back to the 9th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Ó Séaghdha," which means "descendant of Séaghdha," a personal name derived from the old Irish word "séaghdha," meaning "hawk" or "falcon."

The OSHEA name is predominantly associated with County Kerry and neighboring regions in southwestern Ireland. It is believed to have originated among the Dál gCais, a powerful dynasty that ruled over the region during the medieval period. The name is closely linked to the ancient territory of Iveragh, situated in the Iveragh Peninsula of County Kerry.

One of the earliest recorded references to the OSHEA name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle dating back to the 12th century. The annals mention several members of the OSHEA family, including Diarmaid Ó Séaghdha, who was killed in a battle against the Normans in 1180.

In the 16th century, the OSHEA clan played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions, a series of uprisings against English rule in Munster. One notable figure from this period was Domhnall Ó Séaghdha, who served as the chief of the OSHEA clan and led his forces in support of the rebel leader, Gerald Fitzgerald, the 16th Earl of Desmond.

Another prominent individual bearing the OSHEA surname was Seán Ó Séaghdha (1586-1667), a renowned Irish scholar and poet. He was a skilled genealogist and chronicler, contributing to the preservation of Irish history and literature during a turbulent period.

In the 18th century, Tadhg Ó Séaghdha (1717-1796) was a celebrated Irish-language poet and scribe from County Kerry. His works, which covered a wide range of subjects, including religious themes and praise poems for local patrons, are considered significant contributions to the Irish literary tradition.

Liam Ó Séaghdha (1828-1901) was a notable figure in the Irish cultural revival movement of the 19th century. He was a skilled stonemason and poet who helped preserve and promote the Irish language and cultural heritage through his works and advocacy.

As the OSHEA name spread beyond Ireland, it gained recognition in various parts of the world. One notable example is John O'Shea (1944-2001), an Australian actor and director who had a successful career in television and film, appearing in popular shows like "A Country Practice" and "The Sullivans."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Shea

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Shea.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for O'Shea was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of O'Shea has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name O'Shea was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of O'Shea, please contact us.

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