NameCensus.

UK surname

Keelan

Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Caolán meaning "descendant of Caoláin", a diminutive of the personal name Caol.

In the 1881 census there were 111 people recorded with the Keelan surname, ranking it #18,597 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 423, ranked #11,344, up from #18,597 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Wyre Forest and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keelan is 468 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 281.1%.

1881 census count

111

Ranked #18,597

Modern count

423

2016, ranked #11,344

Peak year

2002

468 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keelan had 111 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,597 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 423 in 2016, ranked #11,344.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 237 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Keelan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keelan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Keelan 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 38 #26,502
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 111 #18,597
1891 historical 184 #15,869
1901 historical 211 #14,647
1911 historical 237 #13,406
1997 modern 423 #10,550
1998 modern 445 #10,491
1999 modern 442 #10,606
2000 modern 449 #10,459
2001 modern 449 #10,254
2002 modern 468 #10,117
2003 modern 459 #10,113
2004 modern 459 #10,137
2005 modern 449 #10,230
2006 modern 451 #10,221
2007 modern 449 #10,350
2008 modern 444 #10,535
2009 modern 443 #10,821
2010 modern 453 #10,858
2011 modern 451 #10,766
2012 modern 437 #10,915
2013 modern 441 #11,016
2014 modern 449 #10,926
2015 modern 434 #11,142
2016 modern 423 #11,344

Geography

Back to top

Where Keelans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Manchester, Liverpool, Bidstone and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Wyre Forest, Trafford, Sefton and Toryglen and Oatlands. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Bidstone Cheshire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 017 Manchester
2 Wyre Forest 002 Wyre Forest
3 Trafford 015 Trafford
4 Sefton 035 Sefton
5 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Keelan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Keelan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Keelan, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Keelan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Keelan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Keelan 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

Keelan 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

Keelan falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Keelan 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Keelan

The surname Keelan originated in Ireland, where it is an Anglicized form of the Old Irish Gaelic name Ó Cíallán. The name can be traced back to the 10th century and is derived from the Old Irish word "ciall," meaning reason or wisdom.

Keelan was originally found in County Galway, particularly in the baronies of Moycullen and Connemara, where the clan was prominent. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was O'Kyellan, which appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters in the mid-16th century.

In the 17th century, the Keelan family was listed in the Petty Census of 1659, which recorded landowners in Ireland at that time. The name was also mentioned in the Hearth Money Rolls of the late 17th century, which were tax records.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Keelan was Cormac O'Keelan, a renowned Irish poet who lived in the late 16th century. He was known for his poetic compositions in the Gaelic tradition.

Another notable figure was Thomas Keelan (1763-1843), an Irish Jacobin and United Irishman who was involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He was arrested and imprisoned for his role in the uprising.

In the 19th century, John Keelan (1817-1895) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Richmond, Virginia, from 1888 until his death.

Additionally, Patrick Keelan (1826-1894) was an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Savannah, Georgia, from 1888 to 1894.

Another notable figure with this surname was Edward Keelan (1935-1999), a British actor and playwright known for his work in television and theater productions.

The Keelan surname has its roots in Ireland, specifically in the western region of County Galway, where the clan was prominent since the 10th century. The name has been recorded in various historical records and has been borne by several notable figures throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Keelan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keelan 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. Lancashire leads with 46 Keelans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.55x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 46 3.55x
Durham 22 6.77x
Cumberland 10 10.63x
Cheshire 6 2.49x
Cornwall 6 4.85x
Lanarkshire 6 1.70x
Northumberland 4 2.46x
Angus 2 1.98x
Monmouthshire 2 2.53x
Yorkshire 2 0.18x
Derbyshire 1 0.58x
Essex 1 0.46x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 6.33x
Lincolnshire 1 0.57x
Middlesex 1 0.09x
West Lothian 1 6.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Lancashire leads with 18 Keelans recorded in 1881 and an index of 296.54x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 18 296.54x
Wetheral 10 800.00x
Monkwearmouth 8 257.23x
Liverpool 7 8.89x
Birkenhead 6 31.22x
Everton 6 14.52x
Glasgow 6 9.56x
Shildon 6 229.89x
Budock 5 537.63x
Crook Billy Row 5 120.19x
Westgate 4 39.76x
Kirkdale 3 13.76x
Newton 3 30.03x
Burnley 2 18.32x
Dixton Newton 2 4000.00x
Dundee 2 5.29x
Gorton 2 16.42x
Haigh 2 444.44x
Barrow In Furness 1 5.67x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 9.72x
Boston 1 18.87x
Bradford 1 3.82x
Darlington 1 7.97x
Derby St Michael 1 277.78x
East Ham 1 25.00x
Eston 1 42.37x
Falmouth 1 22.83x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 7.11x
Kensington London 1 1.65x
Kirkcudbright 1 76.34x
Stretford 1 14.03x
Whitburn 1 42.02x
Wolsingham 1 33.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Catherine 6
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Margaret 3
Ellen 2
Julia 2
Alecia 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Cath 1
Cathrine 1
Edith 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Johanah 1
Kate 1
Kathleen 1
Maggie 1
Margaretta 1
Margt. 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
James 11
Thomas 8
Peter 7
Patrick 3
Michael 2
Alexand. 1
Andrew 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Francis 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Nicholas 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Keelan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keelan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 111 people were recorded with the Keelan surname. That placed it at #18,597 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keelan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 423 in 2016. That gives Keelan a modern rank of #11,344.

What does the Keelan surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Caolán meaning "descendant of Caoláin", a diminutive of the personal name Caol.

What does the Keelan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Keelan 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.