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Irish surname

Keane: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Catháin; Ó Céin; Mac Catháin; Mac Aodháin (and others) · Several Irish names: Ó Catháin, 'descendant of Cathán'; Ó Céin, 'descendant of Cian'; Mac Catháin, 'son of Cathán'; Mac Aodháin, 'son of Aodhán'

Woulfe (1923) lists Keane as an anglicised form of several different Irish surnames: Ó Catháin, Ó Céin (a Waterford family), Mac Catháin (a Clare family) and Mac Aodháin, which in Connacht speech became Ó Caodháin. In Matheson's 1890 survey Keane was the 85th commonest surname in Ireland, with about 9,000 people, found chiefly in Galway, Clare, Kerry and Mayo.

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Coat of arms associated with the Keane surname
Irish formÓ Catháin; Ó Céin; Mac Catháin; Mac Aodháin (and others)
MeaningSeveral Irish names: Ó Catháin, 'descendant of Cathán'; Ó Céin, 'descendant of Cian'; Mac Catháin, 'son of Cathán'; Mac Aodháin, 'son of Aodhán'
CountiesGalway, Clare, Kerry, Mayo
Other spellings4

Origin of the Keane name

No single origin. Ó Catháin: lords of Keenaght (Co. Derry) and a branch of the Ui Fiachrach in Galway. Ó Céin: a Waterford family, anciently chiefs beside the River Mahon. Mac Catháin: coarbs of St. Senan at Iniscattery, Co. Clare. Mac Aodháin: pronounced Ó Caodháin in Connacht and anglicised Keane.[1][2][3][4][5]

  1. Plantation of UlsterEstates of the Ó Catháin lords of Keenaght (Co. Derry) confiscated.[1]
  2. 1781John Keane, later Lord Keane, born at Belmount, Co. Waterford.[10]
  3. 1839Keane's army takes the fortress of Ghuznee after a two-day struggle (July).[10]
  4. 1844Baron Keane dies, 26 August.[10]
  5. 1890202 Keane births registered (incl. varieties), chiefly Galway, Clare, Kerry and Mayo.[7]

Where in Ireland

Co. GalwayÓ Catháin branch of the Ui Fiachrach; first county named for Keane births in 1890 (40 entries).[1][7][9]
Co. ClareMac Catháin, still well known about Kilrush as Keane; 33 Keane entries in the 1890 Clare index.[3][8]
Co. KerryOne of the four counties where Keane births were principally found in 1890.[7]
Co. MayoÓ Caodháin, Mayo speech form of Mac Aodháin, anglicised Keane; a principal Keane county in 1890.[5][7]
Co. WaterfordÓ Céin family, anciently chiefs of a district bordering on the River Mahon.[2]

Notable people named Keane

John Keane, Lord Keane1781–1844Army officer from Co. Waterford; served in the Peninsula; captured Ghuznee in 1839; made a peer.[10]

Other spellings

Kean · O'Keane · MacKeane · Cahane[2][5]

The Keane coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Keane surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Keane crest gifts

Clan Keane Coat Of Arms Irisharms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapGN91 Classic Cap - Keane Coat Of Arms Irisharms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Keane Coat Of Arms Irisharms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Keane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapZZ74 Classic Cap - Keane Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Keane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Keane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap QQ23 Keane Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Keane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Keane Coat Of Arms Irisharms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap GJ54 Keane Coat Of Arms Irisharms Irish Cap Keane Coat Of Arms Irisharms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Keane surname: questions

What does the surname Keane mean?

It depends on the family. Woulfe gives Keane as a form of Ó Catháin, 'descendant of Cathán', Ó Céin, 'descendant of Cian', Mac Catháin, 'son of Cathán', and Mac Aodháin, 'son of Aodhán'.[1][2][3][4]

Where in Ireland is the Keane name from?

In 1890 Keane births were found chiefly in Galway, Clare, Kerry and Mayo. Woulfe places Keane families in Galway, Clare (about Kilrush), Waterford, Derry and Connacht generally.[7][1][2][3][4]

Are Keane and Kane the same name?

They can share a root. Woulfe gives both Kane and Keane as anglicised forms of Ó Catháin and of Mac Aodháin, and says the forms of Ó Céin cannot be distinguished from those of Ó Catháin. Kane and O'Kane have their own hub.[1][2][4]

How common is the surname Keane in Ireland?

In Matheson's table for 1890 Keane was 85th among the principal surnames of Ireland, with an estimated 9,000 people.[6]

Sources

  1. Ó Catháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cathain.php
  2. Ó Céin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cein.php
  3. Mac Catháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cathain.php
  4. Mac Aodháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-aodhain.php
  5. Ó Caodháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-caodhain.php
  6. Principal Surnames in Ireland (1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  7. Keane — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/keane.php
  8. Registration Province of Munster (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/munster-names.php
  9. Registration Province of Connaught (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/connaught-names.php
  10. Lord John Keane — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/LordJohnKeane.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).