Find out how popular the last name Keeney is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Keeney.

Keeney, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Keeney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keeney in America

Keeney is the 3813th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keeney surname appeared 9,294 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Keeney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keeney to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Keeney

The surname Keeney originates from Ireland and is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Ó Ciadhna" or "Ciadhnach," which means "descendant of Cian." The name Cian was a personal name derived from the old Irish word "cian," meaning "ancient" or "enduring." The prefix "O" or "Ó" in Irish surnames indicates "descendant of."

The Keeney name can be traced back to the 11th century in County Longford, Ireland. It is believed that the Keeneys were among the ancient clans that ruled over parts of the Irish province of Connacht. Early recordings of the name include "O'Ciadhna" and "O'Kiadhna" in various Irish annals and manuscripts.

One of the earliest known references to the Keeney name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a "Donnell O'Kiadhna" who was slain in the year 1249 during a battle between Irish clans.

The Keeney name has also been associated with several historical figures, such as John Keeney, an Irish rebel who fought against the English during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. Another notable Keeney was Captain James Keeney, an Irish-born officer in the American Revolutionary War, who was born in 1747 and died in 1827.

Other notable individuals with the Keeney surname include Philip Keeney, an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist (1857-1938), and James Keeney, an American artist and painter (1889-1950). The name has also been linked to various place names in Ireland, such as Keenagh (derived from "Cian's place") in County Longford and Keenymore (derived from "Cian's great plain") in County Sligo.

Throughout history, the Keeney surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Keeney, Keeney, Keeny, Keaney, Keehan, and Keehen, among others. These variations can be attributed to the evolving pronunciation of the name over time, as well as the influence of different regional dialects in Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keeney

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Keeney.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Keeney was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Keeney has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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