2000
#1,707
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,275
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.15
Uncommon Last name
Keenan
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cianáin, meaning "descendant of Cianán," derived from a diminutive of cian, meaning "ancient."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,748 Americans carry the last name Keenan. That puts it at #1,859 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,760 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keenan 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 Keenan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,760
Census rank
#1,859
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,965 bearers of the surname Keenan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1859th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keenan
The surname Keenan originated in Ireland, with roots dating back to ancient Gaelic times. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name O'Cianain, derived from the personal name Cianan, which means "ancient" or "little ancient one." The name is associated with County Derry and County Antrim in Northern Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The Annals mention a notable figure named Sluaghadach Ua Cianain, who was the chief poet of Ireland in the 10th century.
In the 11th century, the name appeared in the Domesday Book, a census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry referred to a landowner named Cheuenan, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of Keenan.
During the Middle Ages, the Keenan family held lands and estates in County Derry and County Antrim. One notable member was Niall Óg Ó Cianáin, a 15th-century Irish poet and historian from County Derry.
Another prominent figure was Andrew Keenan (1776-1828), an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later became a pioneer settler in Kentucky.
In the 19th century, John Keenan (1816-1865) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, known for his bravery and leadership in several battles, including the Battle of Chancellorsville.
William Joseph Keenan (1830-1907) was a Canadian Catholic priest and educator who founded St. Patrick's School in Hamilton, Ontario, and played a significant role in developing the city's educational system.
Harriet Keenan (1871-1954) was an American actress and playwright, known for her work on the Broadway stage in the early 20th century.
The Keenan surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Keenan's Cross in County Antrim and Keenan's Bridge in County Derry, reflecting the family's historical presence in those regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keenan
Among Census respondents with the surname Keenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Keenan 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 Keenan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 17,136
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 625
- Two or more races3.1% · 585
- Black or African American2.2% · 408
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keenan
Keenan 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
#1,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,353
+1,078 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 6.90
Rank movement Down 58 places
2020
#1,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,965
-1,388 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 6.34
Rank movement Down 94 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,707 | 19,275 | 7.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,765 | 20,353 | 6.90 | +1,078 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 58 places |
| 2020 | #1,859 | 18,965 | 6.34 | -1,388 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 94 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 Keenan 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 | #1,765 | #1,859 | -5.3% |
| Count | 20,353 | 18,965 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.90 | 6.34 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keenan bearers went from 20,353 to 18,965 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 94 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,765 to #1,859.
FAQ
Keenan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keenan?
Name Census estimates that about 21,748 living Americans carry the surname Keenan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,760 residents.
How common is Keenan?
Keenan ranks #1,859 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,965 people with the surname Keenan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,748), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Keenan.
Has Keenan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keenan went from 20,353 recorded bearers to 18,965. That is a decrease of 1,388 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,765 to #1,859.
What does the Census say about the background of Keenan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Keenan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (17,136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keenan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Keenan (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 Keenan mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cianáin, meaning "descendant of Cianán," derived from a diminutive of cian, meaning "ancient." 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 Keenan (6.34 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 share the surname Keenan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.