Given name & surname
Keene
“of an ancient family”·“a warrior”·“one who is sharp”
Keene is a variant of Keana. In Irish use, Keana carries the interpretation “of an ancient family.” Keene is a variant of Kean. Interpretations include “a warrior” and “one who is sharp”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Keene is a variant of Keana. In Irish use, Keana carries the interpretation “of an ancient family.” Keene is a variant of Kean. Interpretations include “a warrior” and “one who is sharp”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Keene is a variant of Kean. An origin associated with Kean is English.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1918. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Keene through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 471
- 471 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2014
- 18 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #11,363 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −42%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 11,363 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 18 in 2014. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 472 as a first name in 2020; 16,443 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.
Keene’s family of names
Keene has a related form in Keana. Keene has a related form in Kean. In English usage, Keene as a surname has a related form in Keane.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Keene, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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