Keenan Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Keenan last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Keenan last name
Meaning of the Keenan last name: descendant of Cianán, 'ancient'. Keenan is an Irish surname from Gaelic Ó Cianáin, "descendant of Cianán", a pet form of Cian, "ancient, enduring". The Ó Cianáin family were hereditary historians to the Maguires of Fermanagh. The last name is most common today in Ulster, especially in Counties Antrim and Down.
Arms associated with the Keenan name
Coats of arms associated with the Keenan surname follow Irish heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Keenan family history
This is only a glimpse of the Keenan story. The full Keenan history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Keenan coat of arms. Get the full Keenan report.
Keenan name FAQ
What does the Keenan name mean?
descendant of Cianán, 'ancient'. Common variants include Kinnane, Keenaghan, Kenan.
Where does the Keenan surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in Northern Ireland, the United States and England.
Is there a Keenan coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Keenan coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).