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Keenan Family History

Keenan Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Cianáin ‘son of Cianán’ a personal name from a diminutive of cian ‘distant long’ or possibly of Mac Fhinghin ‘fair offspring’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Keegan, Keelan, Meenan, Keena, Neenan, Keeven, Heenan, Queenan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Keenan family from?

You can see how Keenan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Keenan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Keenan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 115 Keenan families living in Ontario. This was about 42% of all the recorded Keenan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Keenan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Keenan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Keenan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Keenan. 33% of Keenan men worked as a Farmer and 28% of Keenan women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Keenan were Laborer and Retired. .

View Census Data for Keenan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    33%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Clerk
    7%
  • Laborer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    28%
  • Proof Reader
    19%
  • Clerk
    19%
  • Retired
    19%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Keenan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 157,000 census records available for the last name Keenan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Keenan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Keenan

Passenger Lists

There are 33,000 immigration records available for the last name Keenan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Keenan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 29,000 military records available for the last name Keenan. For the veterans among your Keenan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Keenan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Keenan family history

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What is the average Keenan lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Keenan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Keenan in 1943 was 31, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Keenan

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