2000
#7,533
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,072
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.51
Rare Last name
Kean
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Catháin," meaning "descendant of Cathán," a personal name meaning "battle."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,426 Americans carry the last name Kean. That puts it at #8,215 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,441 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kean surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kean with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,441
Census rank
#8,215
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,860 bearers of the surname Kean in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8215th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kean, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kean
The surname Kean has its roots in Ireland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "cian," meaning "ancient" or "distant." The name was initially found in County Galway, where it was associated with the ancient territories of Cenél Áedha and Cenél Fearmaic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Donnchadh Kean, who lived in the late 14th century and was a member of the Uí Briúin Seóla dynasty.
In the 16th century, the Kean family played a significant role in the Gaelic Irish resistance against the English Tudor conquest of Ireland. A notable figure was Conn Kean, who fought alongside the Earl of Desmond during the Desmond Rebellions (1579-1583) against Queen Elizabeth I.
The name Kean also appears in various historical records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which document land grants and appointments made by the English monarchs in Ireland. One such record from 1605 mentions a land grant to Dermot Kean in County Galway.
As the centuries progressed, the Kean name spread beyond Ireland. In the 18th century, Edmund Kean (1787-1833) became one of the most renowned English actors of his time, renowned for his performances in Shakespearean tragedies.
Another notable figure was Charles John Kean (1811-1868), an English actor and theatre manager who was the son of Edmund Kean. He was renowned for his lavish productions of Shakespeare's plays and his efforts to preserve historic theatres in London.
In the field of literature, the Kean surname is associated with the Irish-born American writer Mary Kean (1845-1920), who wrote several notable works, including "The Hungarians of To-day" and "The Homesteaders."
Thomas Kean (1927-2022) was an American politician who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. He played a prominent role in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks as the chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Kean, showcasing its rich heritage and presence across various fields and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kean
Among Census respondents with the surname Kean, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kean bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kean surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 3,420
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 128
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 116
- Two or more races2.9% · 113
- Black or African American1.7% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kean
Kean appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,408
+336 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 10 places
2020
#8,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,860
-548 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 672 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,533 | 4,072 | 1.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,543 | 4,408 | 1.49 | +336 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 10 places |
| 2020 | #8,215 | 3,860 | 1.29 | -548 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 672 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kean surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,543 | #8,215 | -8.9% |
| Count | 4,408 | 3,860 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.29 | -13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kean bearers went from 4,408 to 3,860 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 672 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,543 to #8,215.
FAQ
Kean surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kean?
Name Census estimates that about 4,426 living Americans carry the surname Kean. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,441 residents.
How common is Kean?
Kean ranks #8,215 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,860 people with the surname Kean. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,426), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kean.
Has Kean become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kean went from 4,408 recorded bearers to 3,860. That is a decrease of 548 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,543 to #8,215.
What does the Census say about the background of Kean?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kean, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kean in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (3,420 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kean appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (3.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kean (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kean mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Catháin," meaning "descendant of Cathán," a personal name meaning "battle." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kean (1.29 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Kean?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Kean at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.