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Sheehan Family History

Sheehan Name Meaning

Irish (Cork): shortened form of O'Sheehan an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Síodhacháin ‘descendant of Síodhachán’ a personal name representing a diminutive of síodhach ‘peaceful’ the same word as sítheach. Compare Sheehy .

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


Similar surnames: Sheeran, Sheehy, Skehan, Meehan, Heelan, Heenan, Feehan, Deehan

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Sheehan family from?

You can see how Sheehan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sheehan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sheehan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 10 Sheehan families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 50% of all the recorded Sheehan's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Sheehan families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sheehan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Sheehan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sheehan. 11% of Sheehan men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Sheehan women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sheehan were Farmer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Sheehan | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    11%
  • Clerk
    8%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Farmer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    9%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Clerk
    7%
  • Housewife
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Sheehan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 197,000 census records available for the last name Sheehan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sheehan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Sheehan

Passenger Lists

There are 44,000 immigration records available for the last name Sheehan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Sheehan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 35,000 military records available for the last name Sheehan. For the veterans among your Sheehan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Sheehan lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Sheehan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Sheehan in 1941 was 50, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sheehan

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