SHERIDAN
The surname Sheridan is an Irish family name that originates from the Gaelic Ó Sirideáin. The prefix Ó signifies a male descendant, and the personal nickname Sirideán is believed to be derived from the word siride, meaning a searcher or seeker. Consequently the surname can be understood to denote a descendant of the seeker.
In a related explanation the name is viewed as an anglicised form of the old gaelic O' Sirideain, where siride has been interpreted as elf, combined with the diminutive suffix -an. Within Irish mythological tradition the elf is often considered a mischievous spirit; therefore the original bearer of the name may have been regarded as a mischief-maker.
The family originally settled in County Longford, where they held church property before migrating to County Cavan – the county in which the name is now most common. Historical records bear the earliest known spelling of the surname in 1612, when a Denis Sheridan of County Cavan was entrusted by Bedell to translate the Bible into Irish during the reign of King James I.
Notable bearers of the surname include the Dublin‑born playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), author of well‑known stage works such as The Rivals and School Scandal; and the American Civil War general Philip Henry Sheridan (1831–1888) who originally hailed from Cavan before military service in the United States. In more recent history Bernard Michael Sheridan was born on 18 February 1920 at Clonfin in the district of Granard, County Longford, to parents Patrick Sheridan and Anna McNerney. A famine emigrant, William Sheridan (age 24) departed from Liverpool aboard the “Kalamazoo” bound for New York on 24 March 1846.
Typical given names associated with the Sheridan surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Thomas
Female
- Anne
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Sheridan in...
Braille
⠎⠓⠑⠗⠊⠙⠁⠝
Morse
.........-...-...--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 9,126 people named Sheridan in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,035th most common surname in Britain. Around 140 in a million people in Britain are named Sheridan.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Sheridan
- Nicollette Sheridan - Actress
- Dinah Sheridan - Actress (1920 to 2012)
- Tommy Sheridan - Politician
- Tye Sheridan - American actor
- Andrew Sheridan - Rugby union player
- Katie Sheridan - Actress
- John Sheridan - Irish football player and manager
- Tony Sheridan - Singer-songwriter, musician (1940 to 2013)
- Clare Sheridan - Artist (1885 to 1970)
- Darren Sheridan - Football player; football manager
- Eileen Sheridan - Racing cyclist
- Sybil Sheridan - Rabbi
- Jim Sheridan - Politician
- Andrew Sheridan - Actor and playwright
- Ryan Sheridan - Former rugby league player
- Sara Sheridan - Scottish novelist
- Keith Sheridan - Scottish cricketer
- Jake Sheridan - Football player
- Will Sheridan - Australian cricketer
- Alex Sheridan - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.