Keenan
Keenan is an Irish surname meaning 'ancient, distant' in the Irish language. It is derived from Ó Cianáin 'descendant of Cianán'. The Ó Cianáin clan were hereditary historians to the Mac Uidhir.
- Irish
Meaning & Origin of Keenan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Keenan is an Irish surname meaning 'ancient, distant' in the Irish language. It is derived from Ó Cianáin 'descendant of Cianán'. The Ó Cianáin clan were hereditary historians to the Mac Uidhir.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Irish
The Story of Keenan
Keenan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1942, with 7 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1997: 717 births, good for #354 nationwide. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 33% of all recorded Keenans. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,259 among baby boy names with 158 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 18K Keenans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Keenan
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Keenan. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Cian
- Cianán
Names that sound like Keenan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Keenan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Keenan
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About the name Keenan
Keenan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1942 and has accumulated 18K births in the dataset. Keenan's peak popularity came in 1997 when it ranked #354. Use the chart and map above to compare Keenan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1997 →
- Names of the 1990s →
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- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.