Keelan first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Keelan has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Keelan

A masculine name of Irish origin, meaning "slender" or "fair".

Popularity of Keelan by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Keelan is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 91% of people named Keelan being male.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 66 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Keelan.

Year	Male Count	Female Count
2024	66	0
2023	58	5
2022	78	5
2021	88	7
2020	86	0
2019	123	10
2018	105	5
2017	96	9
2016	106	7
2015	135	9
2014	134	12
2013	116	14
2012	113	15
2011	112	17
2010	131	17
2009	98	13
2008	115	16
2007	134	18
2006	100	14
2005	79	6
2004	66	7
2003	99	7
2002	81	15
2001	96	20
2000	113	16
1999	86	6
1998	79	6
1997	87	13
1996	56	0
1995	74	7
1994	53	5
1993	44	0
1992	48	9
1991	53	0
1990	40	7
1989	35	6
1988	32	0
1987	30	6
1986	19	0
1985	20	11
1984	28	0
1983	20	0
1982	26	6
1981	16	0
1980	32	0
1979	22	0
1978	12	0
1977	14	0
1976	9	0
1975	14	0

The history of the first name Keelan

The name Keelan is derived from the Irish Gaelic name Caolán, which means "slender" or "lean". It is believed to have originated in Ireland during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 5th or 6th century AD.

The name is closely linked to Irish culture and heritage, with its roots tracing back to the ancient Gaelic language spoken in Ireland for centuries. The earliest recorded use of the name Keelan is found in Irish historical records and genealogies from the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the name Keelan was Keelan of Glendalough, an Irish monk and scribe who lived in the 6th century AD. He is known for his contributions to the preservation of ancient Irish literature and religious texts at the Glendalough monastery.

Another notable figure in history with the name Keelan was Keelan O'Reilly, an Irish chieftain and leader of the O'Reilly clan in County Cavan, Ireland, during the 16th century. He played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars against English rule in the 1640s.

In the 19th century, Keelan Corrigan was an Irish-American labor leader and activist who fought for workers' rights and better working conditions in New York City. He was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1824 and later immigrated to the United States.

Keelan Foley was an Irish-born American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox in the early 20th century. He was born in County Sligo, Ireland, in 1888 and had a career in Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1915.

Another notable figure with the name Keelan was Keelan Wynn, an Irish-American journalist and author who was born in County Mayo, Ireland, in 1937. He worked as a foreign correspondent for various publications and wrote several books about his experiences covering conflicts and global events.

Throughout history, the name Keelan has maintained its strong connection to Irish culture and heritage, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, from religion and literature to politics and sports.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Keelan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Keelan, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

<a href="https://namecensus.com/first-names/keelan-meaning-and-history/">Keelan first name popularity, history and meaning</a>