Keenan (Cianán) is a male

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

name which means "ancient, distant". ''Keenan'' is an Anglicisation of the Irish name ''Cianán'' which is a diminutive of ''Cian''. The

Ó Cianáin Ó Cianáin was the name of a Gaelic-Irish Brehon family. They were originally erenaghs of the parish of Cleenish, Lough Erne, but who had served for several centuries as historians to Mag Uidir of Fear Manach (2007, p. 437). The Annals o ...

clan (Keenan) were the traditional historians to the McGuire clan. Keenan is also a surname.

Origins

Recorded as O'Keenan and more usually Keenan, this is an Irish surname. Found mainly in the

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

and northern counties of

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh ( ga, Fir Manach), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of al ...

and

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It also provides the name of its Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish and Monaghan (barony), barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7 ...

, it originates from the ancient pre 10th century Gaelic name O' Cianain meaning "The descendant of the faithful one" or similar. It may not have been entirely coincidence that the clan was famous throughout the Medieval Period for producing both high-ranking members of the church, and early historians, in several cases the same thing. The first recorded scribe was Adam O' Caianain, who was also the canon of Lisgool in Fermanagh. He is mentioned in the annals known as the "Four Masters" as being the historian to the famous Maguires of County Fermanagh. It is said that in 1659 in Petty's Census of Ireland that the spelling was found as MacKeenan, but if so this spelling is now completely extinct and research suggests that the original recording may have been a clerical mistake. According to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Social Security Administration The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that administers Social Security (United ...

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''Keenan'' was the 607th most popular first name for newborns in the United States in 2006, which is a decrease from being the 362nd most popular in 1992.

People named Keenan

First name

Keenan Allen Keenan Alexander Allen (born April 27, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California before leaving after his junior year. He was drafted ...

, American football wide receiver *

Keenan Cornelius Keenan Kai-James Cornelius is an American martial artist. His competitive achievements include what has been called a "grand slam" in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having won double ...

, American jiu-jitsu practitioner *

Keenan Clayton Keenan Clayton (born June 19, 1987) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma Sooners football, Oklahoma. Professional ca ...

, American football linebacker *

Keenan Evans Keenan Evans (born August 23, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball at Texas Tech University. College career A 6’3� ...

(born 1996), American basketball player in the

Israel Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional competition in Israeli club basketball, making it Israel's primary basketball co ...

* Keenan Hollahan, pseudonym for advice columnist *

Keenan McCardell Keenan Wayne McCardell (; born January 6, 1970) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the wide receivers c ...

, former American football wide receiver *

Keenan Robinson Keenan Robinson (born July 7, 1989) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Texas, and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He also played for the ...

, American football linebacker *

Kenan Thompson Kenan Thompson (; born May 10, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He has been a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' since 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the show's history. He was also th ...

, American actor and comedian *

Keenen Ivory Wayans Keenen Ivory Desuma Wayans (born June 8, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is a member of the Wayans family of entertainers. Wayans first came to prominence as the host and the creator of the 1990–1994 Fox sketch comedy s ...

, American comedian, director and writer *

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...

, American character actor

Last name

Brian Keenan (Irish republican) Brian Keenan (1942 – 21 May 2008) was a member of the Army Council of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who received an 18-year prison sentence in 1980 for conspiring to cause explosions, and played a key role in the Northern ...

, Provisional IRA member * Brian Keenan (musician born 1943), American musician *

Brian Keenan (writer) Brian Keenan (born 28 September 1950) is a Northern Irish writer whose work includes the book ''An Evil Cradling'', an account of the four and a half years he spent as a hostage in Beirut, Lebanon from 11 April 1986 to 24 August 1990. Life K ...

, Irish journalist and hostage *

Brigid Keenan Brigid Ann Keenan (born 1939) is an author and journalist. She was born in Ambala, India, where her father was an officer in the British Indian Army during the Raj. Her family repatriated to the United Kingdom after India's independence in 19 ...

, British/Irish writer of best-selling memoirs "Diplomatic Baggage" *

Cathy Keenan The following is a list of the characters from the ''Degrassi Classic'' era of the Canadian teen drama ''Degrassi'' franchise, created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. ''Degrassi Junior High'' was the second series in the ''Degrassi'' franc ...

, Canadian television actor *

Celia Keenan-Bolger Celia Keenan-Bolger (born January 26, 1978) is an American actress and singer. She is known for portraying Scout Finch in the play ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (2018), which earned her a Tony Award. She has also won three Drama Desk Awards and an ...

, American stage actor and singer *

David Keenan David Keenan (born April 1971) is a Scottish writer and author of four novels. Career He used to run the Glasgow record shop, distribution company and record label Volcanic Tongue. Journalism His work for ''The Wire'' (who he wrote for from ...

, Scottish writer and musician * Deborah Keenan, American poet and educator * Don Keenan, Canadian ice hockey goaltender *

Donal Keenan Daniel Patrick Keenan (10 March 1919 – 19 September 1990) was an Irish Gaelic games administrator, Gaelic football coach, selector and former player. He was the president of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1973 until 1976. Born in El ...

, Irish Gaelic games administrator *

Edward L. Keenan Edward Louis "Ned" Keenan, Jr. (May 14, 1935 - March 9, 2015) was an American professor of history at Harvard University who specialized in medieval Russian history (especially the cultural and the political history of Muscovy). He became a pr ...

, American historian of medieval Russia *

Frank Keenan Frank Keenan (born James Francis Keenan; April 8, 1858 – February 24, 1929) was an American stage and film actor and stage director and manager during the silent-film era. He was among the first stage actors to star in Hollywood, and he pur ...

, American stage and screen actor and director * Frank Keenan (hurler) Irish hurling player * Harold Keenan, English footballer * Harry Keenan, American screen actor *

Helen Grace Scott Keenan Helen Grace Reswick Scott Keenan (June 16, 1915 — November 20, 1987), more commonly, Helen Grace Scott, was a United States citizen employed in the Office of Strategic Services and later the Office of U.S Chief Counsel for Prosecution of Axis ...

, American journalist, OSS employee and Soviet spy * Henry Francis Keenan, American journalist and author *

Joe Keenan (footballer) Joseph John Keenan (born 14 October 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a left midfielder. Club career Keenan started his career with Premier League club Chelsea. He made his first-team debut for Chelsea in 2002 a ...

, British footballer *

Joe Keenan (writer) Joe Keenan (born July 14, 1958) is an American screenwriter, television producer and novelist. Early life Keenan was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts into an Irish American Catholic family. He has a twin brother, John, and two other siblings, R ...

, American writer and playwright * John Keenan (Medal of Honor), U.S. Army soldier * John F. Keenan, American attorney and federal judge * John R. Keennan (1940–2015), American baseball scout * Joseph B. Keenan, chief prosecutor in the International Military Tribunal for the Far East * Joseph Henry Keenan, American thermodynamicist * Lillie Keenan (born 1996), American show jumping rider * Luke A. Keenan (1872–1924), New York politician *

Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Pusci ...

, American singer of bands Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer *

Mike Keenan Michael Edward Keenan (born October 21, 1949) is a Canadian professional hockey coach who most recently coached the Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League. Previously, he served as head coach and/or general manager with several NHL teams ...

, Canadian ice hockey manager *

Nancy Keenan Nancy Keenan (born February 14, 1952) is an American politician, and since 2015 the executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. Prior to that, she was elected to several terms in the Montana House of Representatives (1983–1989) and as ...

, American politician and pro-choice campaigner *

Norbert Keenan Sir Norbert Michael Keenan QC (30 January 1864 – 24 April 1954) was an Australian lawyer and politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1905 to 1911 and again from 1930 to 1950. He was the leader of the ...

, Australian politician *

Paddy Keenan Paddy Keenan (born 30 January 1950) is an Irish player of the uilleann pipes who first gained fame as a founding member of The Bothy Band. Since that group's dissolution in the late 1970s, Keenan has released a number of solo and collaborati ...

, Irish uilleann piper *

Pepper Keenan Pepper J. Keenan (born May 8, 1967) is an American guitarist and vocalist, best known for his work with heavy metal bands Corrosion of Conformity and Down. He joined Corrosion of Conformity in 1989, but did not become the lead singer until the ...

, American musician with Corrosion of Conformity *

Peter Keenan Peter Patrick Pius Paul "Crackers" Keenan (born 7 April 1951) is a former Australian rules footballer who worked as a strapper for Bart Cummings, and played with Melbourne, Essendon and North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League. Keena ...

("Crackers" Keenan), former Australian rules footballer *

Peter Keenan (boxer) Peter Keenan (8 August 1928 — 27 July 2000 (aged 71)) was a Scottish amateur flyweight and professional fly/ bantam/featherweight boxer of the 1940s and 1950s. As an amateur, he was runner-up in the 1948 Amateur Boxing Association of Engl ...

, Scottish boxer of the 1940s, and 1950s *

Philip Childs Keenan Philip Childs Keenan (March 31, 1908 – April 20, 2000) was an American astronomer. Keenan was an American spectroscopist who collaborated with William Wilson Morgan and Edith Kellman (1911–2007) to develop the MKK stellar spectral classi ...

(1908-2000), American astronomer * Phuwaryne Keenan (born 1988), Thai singer * Sinead Keenan, Irish actress *

Shy Keenan Shy Keenan (also known as Karen Wootton and Karen Claridge) is a British author, child sexual abuse survivor, and founder of Phoenix Survivors, an advocacy group for victims of sexual abuse. Keenan is known for her biography ''Broken'', in which sh ...

, British author, child sexual abuse survivor, and founder of Phoenix Survivors * Sterling James Keenan, American pro wrestler *

Tamra Keenan Tamra Keenan is an Irish singer/songwriter. She has collaborated with many of the world's leading electronic dance music producers. Keenan also writes music for television and film, and writes lyrics for and collaborates with many other recordi ...

, British singer * Terry Keenan, American broadcast television business correspondent * Vernon Keenan, American law enforcement officer ;Fictional *

Gareth Keenan Gareth Keenan (born 17 April 1971) is a fictional paper salesman on BBC's comedy ''The Office'', portrayed by Mackenzie Crook. Gareth is a self-important team leader proud of his alleged Lieutenant status in the Territorial Army. He spends his d ...

, character from UK television series ''The Office''

Origins

People named Keenan

First name

Last name

See also