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

Keeshan, 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 Keeshan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keeshan in America

Keeshan is the 92719th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keeshan surname appeared 198 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Keeshan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keeshan 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 Keeshan

The surname Keeshan has its origins in Ireland, where it first appeared in the late 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Cíosáin, which means "descendant of Cíosán." The name Cíosán itself is a diminutive of the old Irish word "cios," meaning "rent" or "tribute."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keeshan can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. In these records, the name appears as "Kysshane" and "Kysshon," reflecting the phonetic spelling of the time.

In the 17th century, the name Keeshan began to spread across Ireland, with families bearing the name residing in counties such as Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary. During this period, variations in spelling were common, with the name appearing as Keeshan, Keechen, Keshan, and Keechan.

One notable individual with the surname Keeshan was James Keeshan, a 19th-century Irish nationalist and member of the Young Ireland movement. Born in County Tipperary in 1815, Keeshan was an ardent advocate for Irish independence and played a role in the failed Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848.

Another prominent figure was Mary Keeshan, a 19th-century Irish author and poet. Born in 1821 in County Cork, Keeshan published several works of poetry and prose, including the collection "Echoes from Erin" in 1859.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Keeshan can be found in the 1850 census, where a family by the name of Keeshan is listed as living in New York City. This likely reflects the arrival of Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Famine of the 1840s.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Keeshan was Bob Keeshan, an American television producer and actor best known for creating and portraying the beloved children's character Captain Kangaroo. Born in 1927 in New York, Keeshan's career spanned decades, and his iconic show, "Captain Kangaroo," aired on CBS from 1955 to 1984.

Another notable figure was Michael Keeshan, an American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1949 to 1957. Born in 1924 in Pennsylvania, Keeshan played for several teams, including the Chicago Cardinals and the Detroit Lions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keeshan

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

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 Keeshan 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 Keeshan 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 Keeshan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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