Keane - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Catháin
Meaning: “battle”
Traditional stronghold: Clare, Galway
Pronunciation: KAYN; Irish Ó Catháin: oh kah-HAW-in
History of the Keane name
Keane in Munster and Connacht usually represents Ó Catháin, 'descendant of Cathán', a name built on cath, 'battle', while some Waterford families derive instead from Ó Céin, descendant of Cian. The main Ó Catháin sept of the west held lands in the Uí Fhiachrach territory of north Connacht, and a Thomond branch became well established in Clare, where Keane remains one of the county's characteristic names. It is entirely distinct in origin from the great O'Cahan sept of Derry, whose name was anglicised Kane and O'Kane in Ulster, though the Irish form is identical. Keanes have been notably prominent in Irish sport, literature and acting over the last century.
Variants: Kean · O'Keane · Kane · Cahan
Famous bearers of the name
- Roy Keane - Corkman who captained Manchester United and Ireland, one of the great midfielders of his era.
- Robbie Keane - The Republic of Ireland's record goalscorer with 68 international goals.
- John B. Keane - Listowel playwright and publican, author of The Field and Sive.
- Dolores Keane - Galway singer, a founding member of De Dannan and one of Ireland's great traditional voices.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Kelly · O'Brien · Kennedy · Lynch · Quinn · Connolly · Burke · Clarke