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Irish surname

Keon: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Eóin · 'son of John'

Woulfe (1923) gives Keon among the anglicised forms of Mac Eóin, 'son of John', an Irish surname assumed by a branch of the Scottish family of Bissett who settled in the Glinns of Antrim in the 13th century. In 1890, 18 entries including spelling varieties (8 spelled Keon, 8 spelled Keown) were registered in Ireland, 14 of them in Ulster.

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Coat of arms associated with the Keon surname
Irish formMac Eóin
Meaning'son of John'
CountiesDonegal, Down and Fermanagh, Glinns of Antrim
Other spellings5
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Origin of the Keon name

Woulfe: Mac Eóin, 'son of John', 'an Irish surname assumed by a branch of the Scottish family of Bissett who settled, in the 13th century, in the Glinns of Antrim'. He adds that its anglicised forms cannot be distinguished from those of Mac Eoghain.[1]

  1. 1383Four Masters: 'Mac Eoin Bisset' killed Raibilin Savadge, who had been wounded in a cavalry charge.[4]
  2. 1495Four Masters: Con, son of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, marched to 'Mac Eoin of the Glins', in the east of Ulster.[5]
  3. 189018 entries including spelling varieties (8 spelled Keon, 8 spelled Keown) in Ireland, 14 in Ulster.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. Donegal, Down and FermanaghMatheson: counties in which principally found in 1890 (Keon, Keown and spelling varieties); 14 of 18 entries in Ulster.[2]
Co. Glinns of AntrimWoulfe: where the Bissett branch settled in the 13th century.[1]

Other spellings

MacEoin · MacKeon · MacKeone · MacKeown · Keown[1]

Scottish connection

Woulfe says Mac Eóin is an Irish surname assumed by a branch of the Scottish family of Bissett who settled in the Glinns of Antrim in the 13th century. He does not link it to any Scottish clan.[1]

The Keon coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Keon 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.

Keon surname: questions

What does the surname Keon mean?

Woulfe lists Keon among the anglicised forms of Mac Eóin, 'son of John'.[1]

Is Keon an Irish or a Scottish name?

Woulfe calls Mac Eóin an Irish surname assumed by a branch of the Scottish family of Bissett who settled in the Glinns of Antrim in the 13th century.[1]

Are Keon and Keown the same name?

Woulfe lists Keon and Keown among the forms of Mac Eóin and says they cannot be distinguished from the forms of Mac Eoghain. Matheson's 1890 index counts Keon and Keown together: 18 entries including spelling varieties (8 spelled Keon, 8 spelled Keown).[1][2]

Where is the Keon name from in Ireland?

Woulfe places the Bissett branch in the Glinns of Antrim. In 1890, 14 of the 18 entries for Keon, Keown and their spelling varieties were in Ulster; Matheson names Donegal, Down and Fermanagh.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Mac Eoin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mace/mac-eoin.php
  2. Keon — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/keon.php
  3. Keown — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/996.php
  4. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1383 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text002.html
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1495 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text013.html

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