UK boy's name
Keenan
Of Irish origin, meaning "ancient" or "born of fire".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Keenan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Keenan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2921, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 176 births.
This profile covers 1,292 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 4% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,383 living people in the UK are called Keenan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Keenan ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 176 boys were registered as Keenan.
- • Keenan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #403 in 2012.
- • About 1,383 living people in the UK are estimated to have Keenan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2921
2024
Births in 2024
7
Latest year
Peak year
1998
176 births
Estimated living
1,383
2026
Meaning
What does Keenan mean?
The name Keenan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Cionaodh, which means "ancient" or "born of fire." It has its roots in ancient Celtic culture and was commonly used in Ireland during the early medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keenan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the 9th century, a man named Cionaodh mac Scannláin is mentioned as the King of Uí Fiachrach Aidne, a medieval Irish kingdom.
The name gained popularity in the Christian tradition, as it was borne by several Irish saints and religious figures. Saint Cionaodh of Inis Endaimh, who lived in the 6th century, was a renowned Irish monk and is celebrated in the Irish martyrologies.
Throughout history, the name has been associated with notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Cionaodh Ó hArtacáin (c. 950–1031), an Irish poet and scholar from County Roscommon. Another famous Keenan was Cionaodh Ó Muirchertaigh (c. 1140–1224), a medieval Irish poet and historian from County Mayo.
In more recent times, notable individuals with the name Keenan include:
1. Keenan Wynn (1916–1986), an American character actor known for his roles in films like "Dr. Strangelove" and "Nashville." 2. Keenan Ivory Wayans (born 1958), an American actor, comedian, and writer, best known as the creator of the popular sketch comedy show "In Living Color." 3. Keenan Allen (born 1992), an American football wide receiver who plays for the Los Angeles Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). 4. Keenan Cahill (born 1995), an American internet celebrity and lip-sync artist, known for his popular YouTube videos. 5. Keenan Lewis (born 1986), a former American football cornerback who played in the NFL for teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints.
While the name Keenan has its roots in ancient Irish culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and has been adopted by people from diverse backgrounds, continuing to be a popular choice for parents around the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Keenan over time
The chart below shows babies named Keenan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Keenan, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 176 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keenan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Keenan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2283 | 49 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1572 | 165 | 10 |
| 2000s | #511 | 590 | 10 |
| 1990s | #262 | 488 | 4 |
Geography
Where Keenan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Keenan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Keenan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #403 in 2012.
Across the UK
Keenan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#619 in 2024
18 years of NRS records, 83 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#403 in 2012
6 years of NISRA records, 21 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Keenan
-
Keenan Gough
association football player
English footballer
2006-
Related
Names similar to Keenan
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Keenan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Keenan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Keenan was ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Keenan most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 176 babies registered as Keenan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Keenan?
Of Irish origin, meaning "ancient" or "born of fire".
How many people are called Keenan in the UK?
A total of 1,292 babies have been registered as Keenan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 83 more in Scotland and 21 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Keenan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Keenan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #403 in 2012. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.