O'Hea Coat of Arms, Family Crest and O'Hea Family History

O'Hea Family History

The family history of the ancient name O'Hea was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Meaning 'descendant of Hugh', O'Hea is a baptismal name of great antiquity. Variants include Hugh, Hayes and O'Hae. This name is of Anglo-Norman descent spreading to Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts in these countries. Examples of such are a Edde Hugh who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273. A William, son of Hugh, was recorded as being the Burgess of Aberdeen, Scotland, in the year 1189. A John Hughe, County Somerset, was recorded in 'Kirby's Quest', in the reign of Edward III. A Richard Hewes was recorded in the 'Valor Ecclesiasticus' in the thirteenth century. In Ireland O'Hea is one of several anglicized forms of the O'hAodha Gaelic name, being found in Ulster as Hughes. One sept called O'Hea was located in the western part of Cork but the most powerful was a Dalcassian sept of Thomond, now chiefly associated with Limerick and Tipperary.The O'Hea family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including O'Hea descendants.