Surname Sulivan - Meaning and Origin

Sulivan: What does the surname Sulivan mean?

The surname Sullivan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "Ó Súileabháin". This name is made up of two parts: "súil", meaning "eye", and "dubh", meaning "black", combined with the suffix "án". Thus, the approximate meaning of Sullivan is "descendant of the black-eyed one". As a patronymic name, it indicates a familial relationship with an ancestor who was known by this nickname. However, the exact characteristics or activities that led to their ancestor being given this nickname are lost to history. It is one of the most popular Irish surnames and was initially found in the southern county of Tipperary before spreading across Ireland and eventually other parts of the world through Irish emigration.

Sulivan: Where does the name Sulivan come from?

The last name Sulivan is primarily associated with those who trace their ancestry back to Ireland. The anglicized version of the surname is derived from the Irish surname O’Súilleabháin or Ó Súilleabháin. It is among the 20 most common surnames in Ireland today. According to the Central Statistics Office of Ireland, as of 2018 the most concentrated province for the last name Sulivan was Cork with 2,168 individuals bearing the name in the year.

Owing to the strong Irish heritage associated with the last name Sulivan, it is common in countries that have a large population of people with Irish heritage. In the US, the last name ranks 108th on the U.S. Census Bureau’s list of the top 1000 last names. Approximately 97,499 Americans have the last name Sulivan. The highest concentrations of the last name are found in California, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

The last name Sulivan is also common in the United Kingdom where it ranked 2390 in 2019. Approximately 10,206 people living in the UK had the last name Sulivan. The last name is also found in other countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

In conclusion, the last name Sulivan is most common among people of Irish heritage. It is found in high concentrations in certain areas of Ireland as well as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname Sulivan

The surname Sullivan is derived from the Gaelic Ó Súileabhán (equivalent to the name Sullivan) which translates to “descendent of Sullebhan”. This translates to “eye” or “hawks eye”, which is likely related to the legend of the hawk-eyed warrior prince Sullebhan Fin MacCarthy of Desmond. The surname is very popular in Ireland and has been adopted in a few other countries as well.

Common Variants of the Sullivan Surname:

-O'Sullivan

-Sullavan

-Sullivain

-Sollahan

-Sulivan

-Sellivan

-Suillivan

-Sullivin

Common Spellings:

-Sualivan

-Sulleven

-Sullevan

-Sealivn

-Suluvan

-Sulleven

-Sulavane

-Sulliyon

-Sullifeen

Common Surnames of the same origin:

-O'Sulleabhan

-MacSullivan

-McSullivan

-McSulleven

-MacSulleven

-McSullin

-McSollahan

-McSully

-MacSully

-MacSollahan

-MacSullin

Famous people with the name Sulivan

• Dani Sullivan: actress, comedy performer and one of the contestants on MTV's The Challenge television series.
• Joe Sullivan: American football player for the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Tom Sullivan: actor known for his horror films such as Creepshow and The Evil Dead.
• Helen Sullivan: British Olympic field hockey player.
• Georgina Sullivan: British figure skater and 2010 Olympian.
• Paul Sullivan: Australian comedian and radio personality.
• Barry Sullivan: American actor who appeared in 1,000 films and TV series.
• John Sullivan: British comedy writer best known for his work on Only Fools and Horses.
• Gina Sullivan: Irish singer-songwriter and the 2009 winner of X-Factor.
• Chris Sullivan: American actor, best known for his roles in The Knick and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Other surnames

Suliven