NameCensus.

UK surname

Keaveney

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Caodhain, meaning "descendant of Caodhan".

In the 1881 census there were 9 people recorded with the Keaveney surname, ranking it #32,416 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 403, ranked #11,815, up from #32,416 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Whiteinch, Manchester and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keaveney is 410 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 4377.8%.

1881 census count

9

Ranked #32,416

Modern count

403

2016, ranked #11,815

Peak year

2014

410 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keaveney had 9 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,416 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 403 in 2016, ranked #11,815.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 45 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Keaveney surname distribution map

The map shows where the Keaveney surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Keaveney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Keaveney over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 3 #32,890
1861 historical 11 #32,452
1881 historical 9 #32,416
1891 historical 43 #30,933
1901 historical 45 #29,156
1911 historical 43 #28,581
1997 modern 379 #11,447
1998 modern 383 #11,748
1999 modern 390 #11,660
2000 modern 377 #11,903
2001 modern 380 #11,660
2002 modern 404 #11,353
2003 modern 390 #11,467
2004 modern 393 #11,433
2005 modern 371 #11,842
2006 modern 360 #12,198
2007 modern 367 #12,152
2008 modern 379 #11,960
2009 modern 391 #11,925
2010 modern 407 #11,824
2011 modern 396 #11,943
2012 modern 396 #11,807
2013 modern 408 #11,740
2014 modern 410 #11,788
2015 modern 408 #11,737
2016 modern 403 #11,815

Geography

Back to top

Where Keaveneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Whiteinch, Manchester, Teignbridge and Trafford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Whiteinch Glasgow City
2 Manchester 043 Manchester
3 Teignbridge 006 Teignbridge
4 Trafford 003 Trafford
5 Trafford 017 Trafford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Keaveney

These lists show first names that appear often with the Keaveney surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Keaveney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Keaveney, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Keaveney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Keaveney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Keaveney is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Keaveney is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Keaveney falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Keaveney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Keaveney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Keaveney

The surname Keaveney originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Ciadhain." This name means "descendant of Ciadhan," with Ciadhan being an old Irish personal name meaning "celebrated warrior." The earliest known recordings of the name date back to the 16th century in County Mayo, located in the province of Connacht, Ireland.

The Keaveney surname is associated with the Gaelic-Irish sept or clan known as the Uí Briúin Seóla. This clan was a branch of the larger Uí Briúin dynasty that ruled over parts of what is now County Roscommon and County Sligo during the medieval period. The Uí Briúin Seóla were based in the Barony of Carra, which encompassed parts of modern-day County Mayo and County Sligo.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Keaveney surname can be found in the Annals of Loch Cé, a chronicle of Irish affairs compiled by the Franciscan monks of Lough Key, County Roscommon. In an entry dated 1585, a member of the Keaveney family is mentioned as a participant in a battle between rival Irish clans.

Over the centuries, the Keaveney surname has appeared in various historical records, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were letters patent issued by the English Crown in Ireland during the 16th and 17th centuries. These records provide valuable insights into the lives and activities of prominent Keaveney individuals during that period.

Notable individuals with the Keaveney surname throughout history include:

1. Conor Keaveney (c. 1600-1670), a renowned Irish soldier who fought for the Catholic Confederacy during the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s. 2. Bridget Keaveney (c. 1650-1720), a respected midwife and healer who practiced in County Mayo in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. 3. Patrick Keaveney (1756-1828), a prominent merchant and landowner in County Mayo during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 4. Michael Keaveney (1837-1916), an Irish nationalist and member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who participated in the Fenian Rising of 1867. 5. Mary Keaveney (1890-1976), a renowned Irish traditional singer and storyteller from County Mayo, who helped preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of her native region.

The Keaveney surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, particularly in County Mayo, where several townlands and localities bear the name or variations of it, such as Keaveney, Keevyny, and Keewinny.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Keaveney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keaveney surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 4 Keaveneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.17x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 4 5.17x
Lanarkshire 3 11.89x
Cheshire 1 5.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halifax in Yorkshire leads with 4 Keaveneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 353.98x.

Place Total Index
Halifax 4 353.98x
Govan 3 48.08x
Hyde 1 196.08x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Keaveney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Keaveney households.

FAQ

Keaveney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keaveney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9 people were recorded with the Keaveney surname. That placed it at #32,416 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keaveney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 403 in 2016. That gives Keaveney a modern rank of #11,815.

What does the Keaveney surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Caodhain, meaning "descendant of Caodhan".

What does the Keaveney map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Keaveney bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.