Where does “O'Sullivan” come from?
O'Sullivan (English) comes from Irish Ó Súilleabháin, from Irish Ó, from Irish ua, from Old Irish áue, from Primitive Irish ᚐᚃᚔ, from Proto-Celtic awyos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ewh₂yos — grandfather.
Ancestry of “O'Sullivan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Irish | Ó Súilleabháin | — |
| 2 | Irish | Ó | Alternative form of ó used in surnames |
| 3 | Irish | ua | Archaic form of ó |
| 4 | Old Irish | áue | — |
| 5 | Primitive Irish | ᚐᚃᚔ | descendant |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | awyos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ewh₂yos | grandfather |