Shahan
An Irish surname, usually understood as a shortened or anglicized form related to O'Sheahan / O'Shea.
The #8,704 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 81,852 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Shahan is generally treated as an Anglicized Irish name connected with O'Sheahan and the wider O'Shea group. The excerpted source links Shahan with forms such as O'Sheahan, Shea-han, Shean, and Shane, suggesting a common Gaelic family-name base that was later simplified in English spelling. The exact pathway can vary by family, but the name is usually explained as an English spelling of an Irish surname beginning with O' or derived from the same Gaelic root.
History
In Ireland and among Irish emigrant communities, names in this family often developed multiple spellings as English clerks wrote them phonetically. Shahan is one of several reduced or variant spellings that emerged alongside Sheahan, Sheehan, Shean, and Shane. In modern usage it survives chiefly as a less common Irish surname, especially in North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Irish surname family has produced a remarkable spread of spellings, which is why apparently different names like Sheehan, Sheahan, and Shahan can be historically connected.
From the historical record
“0 SeA-DACAin, O'Sheahan, Shea- han, Shahan, Shean, Shane, etc. 0 SeAS-OA, O'Shea, O'Shee, Shea, Shee.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames