NameCensus.

UK surname

Keena

A Gaelic surname meaning "ancient" or "old".

In the 1881 census there were 19 people recorded with the Keena surname, ranking it #30,872 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 99, ranked #31,358, down from #30,872 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Barnsley and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keena is 108 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 421.1%.

1881 census count

19

Ranked #30,872

Modern count

99

2016, ranked #31,358

Peak year

2008

108 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Keena had 19 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,872 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016, ranked #31,358.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 34 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Keena surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keena surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keena 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 21 #29,550
1861 historical 12 #32,329
1881 historical 19 #30,872
1891 historical 34 #31,604
1901 historical 22 #31,562
1911 historical 34 #29,600
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 93 #28,382
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 88 #29,506
2004 modern 94 #28,896
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 108 #27,684
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 98 #30,384
2012 modern 92 #31,528
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 99 #31,358

Geography

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Where Keenas 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 Kensington and Chelsea, Barnsley, High Peak and South Cambridgeshire. 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 Kensington and Chelsea 003 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Barnsley 007 Barnsley
3 High Peak 006 High Peak
4 South Cambridgeshire 018 South Cambridgeshire
5 Barnsley 010 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keena

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keena

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Keena, 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 Keena surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Keena 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Keena is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Keena is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Keena 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 Keena 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 Keena, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Keena

The surname Keena has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the western province of Connacht. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "caoine" which means "weeping" or "lamentation." The name likely emerged as a descriptive nickname for someone who was particularly sorrowful or prone to crying.

In ancient Irish records, the name was often spelled as "O'Caoine" or "O'Caoineadha," indicating its roots as a patrynomic surname. The prefix "O'" signified "descendant of" or "grandson of." This naming convention was common among Gaelic Irish clans and families.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a man named Fearghal O'Caoineadha who lived in the 13th century and was a notable scholar and poet.

The name Keena is also associated with various place names in Ireland, particularly in counties Mayo and Sligo. For example, the townland of Keenagh in County Sligo was once known as "Caoine" or "Caoinedha," reflecting the surname's local significance.

Notable historical figures with the surname Keena include:

1. Toirdhealbhach O'Caoineadha (c. 1520 - c. 1600), an Irish poet and historian from County Mayo. 2. Aodh O'Caoineadha (fl. 1650s), an Irish physician and writer from County Sligo. 3. Eoghan Keena (1765 - 1828), an Irish rebel and participant in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. 4. Michael Keena (1804 - 1889), an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. 5. Patrick Keena (1834 - 1898), an Irish-American carpenter and union leader who played a significant role in the labor movement in New York City.

While the surname has evolved over time, with various spellings such as Keena, Keenaghan, and Keenan, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Irish clans and their tradition of descriptive and patrynomic surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keena families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keena 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 15 Keenas recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.17x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 15 8.17x
Lanarkshire 3 5.01x
Middlesex 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dewsbury in Yorkshire leads with 11 Keenas recorded in 1881 and an index of 585.11x.

Place Total Index
Dewsbury 11 585.11x
Gomersal 4 465.12x
Bothwell 3 185.19x
Paddington London 1 14.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 2
Alice 1
Bride 1
Ethel 1
Isabella 1
Jennie 1
Julia 1
Sibel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 1
James 1
Jno. 1
John 1
Nicholas 1
Peter 1
William 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 Keena households.

FAQ

Keena surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keena surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19 people were recorded with the Keena surname. That placed it at #30,872 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keena surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016. That gives Keena a modern rank of #31,358.

What does the Keena surname mean?

A Gaelic surname meaning "ancient" or "old".

What does the Keena map show?

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