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Sheehy Family History

Sheehy Surname Meaning

Irish (Limerick and Kerry): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Síthigh ‘descendant of Sítheach’ or Mac Síthigh ‘son of Sítheach’ a form of the Irish personal name Siódach ‘peaceful’ from the adjective sítheach ‘peaceful’ or ‘other worldly’ (see Sheehan).

The noun síth from which this adjective derives means basically ‘settlement’ hence both ‘peace’ and ‘place inhabited by other world beings’.

This name was established in Ireland from the early 14th century when a branch of the Scottish McDonnells descended from Sítheach, great-grandson of Domhnaill, settled in the country.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Sheehy family from?

You can see how Sheehy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sheehy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Sheehy families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 19 Sheehy families living in Ontario. This was about 51% of all the recorded Sheehy's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Sheehy families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sheehy surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Sheehy ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Colier were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Sheehy. 59% of Sheehy men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Sheehy women worked as a Colier.

View Census Data for Sheehy | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    59%
  • Contractor
    18%
  • Cultivateur
    12%
  • Student
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Colier
    100%

What Sheehy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 36,000 census records available for the last name Sheehy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sheehy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Sheehy

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Sheehy. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Sheehy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Sheehy. For the veterans among your Sheehy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sheehy military records

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What is the average Sheehy lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Sheehy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Sheehy in 1944 was 30, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sheehy

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sheehy ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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