O'Sheridan Last Name: Meaning and Heraldic Roots

Some records give Sheridan; others give O'Sheridan. Both point to the same Irish family name. The name is usually explained as “Descendant of Sirideán ("seeker")”.

How the spelling arose

The O' in front of the name is a particle that was often added to Sheridan in records. Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them. The same family of names includes Sheredan and Sheriden.

O'Sheridan coat of arms

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named O'Sheridan, so the heraldry linked to Sheridan is a starting point, not an automatic right.

Want more than a summary? See the O'Sheridan family name pack.