Given name & surname · also Irish
Keenan
“a small woman”·“of an ancient family”
Keenan is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a small woman” (Irish) and “of an ancient family”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a small woman” (Irish) and “of an ancient family”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Irish.
How it developed
In English usage, Keenan is a diminutive of Cian.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1942. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Keenan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 18,515
- 18,176 boys · 339 girls
- Most popular year
- 1997
- 726 babies
- 2025
- 149
- #1,307 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 149 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,307 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 717 in 1997. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 14,676 as a first name in 2020; 18,965 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Keenan’s family of names
In English usage, Keenan is a diminutive of Cian. Keenan has a related form in Keandre. Keenan has a related form in Kennon.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 17
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Keenan
- Keenan WynnAmerican actor (1916–1986)
- Keenan EvansAmerican basketball player (born 1996)
- Keenan MacWilliamCanadian actress and singerborn 1989
- Keenan AllenAmerican football playerborn 1992
- Keenan KampaAmerican actress and dancerborn 1989
- Keenan BlakeDutch hurdler (born 2003)
- Keenan RobinsonAmerican football playerborn 1989
- Keenan BrockAmerican sprinterborn 1992
- Keenan CahillAmerican Internet personality1995–2022
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Keenan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Coleman
“one who burns charcoal; resembling a dove”
>99% boys
Kaelan
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85% boys · 15% girls
Caelan
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89% boys · 11% girls
Keelan
“a slender and beautiful woman” · “a slender man”
95% boys · 5% girls
Keegan
“small and fiery woman” · “a small and fiery man”
90% boys · 10% girls
Duncan
“a dark warrior”
>99% boys
Kelan
“a slender and beautiful woman” · “a slender man”
>99% boys
Brendan
“born to royalty; a prince”
>99% boys