Keenin
A masculine name of Irish origin meaning "little ancient one".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Keenin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Keenin today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keenin births was 2009 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keenin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Keenin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2009
5 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#13,522
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Keenin: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Keenin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Keenin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Keenin
The name Keenin has its origins in the ancient Celtic culture of the British Isles. It is derived from the Old Irish word "caoinim," which means "to lament" or "to wail." The name likely originated during the early medieval period, around the 5th or 6th century AD.
Keenin was a relatively common name among the Celtic peoples of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It was often given to male children born during times of mourning or sorrow, as a way to honor the family's grief and to bring comfort to the newborn child.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keenin can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle written by monks in Ireland. The Annals mention a man named Keenin mac Áedáin, who was a ruler of the Cenél Conaill dynasty in the 7th century AD.
In the 9th century, a Welsh monk named Keenin is said to have lived in the monastery of Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan. He is remembered for his piety and his devotion to the Christian faith.
During the Middle Ages, several notable figures bore the name Keenin. One of the most famous was Keenin of Glendalough, a 12th-century Irish monk and saint who lived in the monastery of Glendalough in County Wicklow. He is venerated in the Catholic Church for his asceticism and his devotion to prayer.
Another historical figure named Keenin was a 14th-century Scottish nobleman and military commander. Keenin MacDonald was a member of the powerful Clan Donald and fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Scottish Wars of Independence against the English.
In the 16th century, a Welsh poet and musician named Keenin ap Rhys gained fame for his compositions and his mastery of the traditional Welsh harp. He was a prominent figure in the cultural renaissance of Wales during the Tudor period.
While the name Keenin has largely fallen out of use in modern times, it remains a significant part of the cultural heritage of the Celtic nations. Its ancient roots and historical associations with grief, spirituality, and artistic expression make it a unique and meaningful name with a rich legacy.
People
Keenin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keenin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Keenin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keenin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keenin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Keenin a common name?
We classify Keenin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keenin most popular?
The single biggest year for Keenin was 2009, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keenin is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Keenin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keenin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keenin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Keenin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keenin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Keenin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Keenin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.