The O'Cahan Family Name

Some records give Kane; others give O'Cahan. Both point to the same Irish family name. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “Descendant of Cathán ("battle")”.

• O'Cahan is listed among the recognised spellings of Kane.
• You may also find the name written O'Kane and Keane.
• Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them.

Arms associated with the name

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named O'Cahan, so the heraldry linked to Kane is a starting point, not an automatic right. For the full story, order the O'Cahan surname pack.