NameCensus.

UK surname

Keohane

A surname meaning "lively" or "warlike" that originated in Ireland.

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Keohane surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 564, ranked #9,103, up from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Merthyr Tydfil, Pembrokeshire and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keohane is 607 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1181.8%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

564

2016, ranked #9,103

Peak year

2010

607 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keohane had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 564 in 2016, ranked #9,103.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 85 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Keohane surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keohane surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keohane 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 6 #32,278
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 76 #27,290
1901 historical 85 #24,636
1911 historical 85 #24,322
1997 modern 538 #8,815
1998 modern 550 #8,937
1999 modern 556 #8,912
2000 modern 562 #8,795
2001 modern 546 #8,849
2002 modern 558 #8,876
2003 modern 543 #8,932
2004 modern 538 #9,003
2005 modern 530 #9,054
2006 modern 515 #9,277
2007 modern 518 #9,316
2008 modern 540 #9,091
2009 modern 560 #9,042
2010 modern 607 #8,710
2011 modern 584 #8,868
2012 modern 569 #8,942
2013 modern 579 #8,965
2014 modern 576 #9,058
2015 modern 563 #9,130
2016 modern 564 #9,103

Geography

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Where Keohanes 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 Merthyr Tydfil, Pembrokeshire, Swale and South Bucks. 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 Merthyr Tydfil 002 Merthyr Tydfil
2 Merthyr Tydfil 008 Merthyr Tydfil
3 Pembrokeshire 016 Pembrokeshire
4 Swale 004 Swale
5 South Bucks 006 South Bucks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keohane

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keohane

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Keohane surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Keohane household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Keohane is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Keohane 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

Keohane falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Keohane is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Keohane

The surname Keohane originates from Ireland, specifically the Irish County of Cork. It dates back to the 12th century and is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Eochadha. The prefix 'O' signifies 'descendant of', while 'Eochadha' is derived from the personal name Eochaidh, meaning 'horse-warrior'.

Variations in spelling include Keohan, Keoghane, Keohon, and Keohan. The name is linked to the Uí Eachach Mumhan, a branch of the ruling Dál gCais dynasty that controlled parts of County Cork. The territory controlled by the Uí Eachach Mumhan was known as Oireacht Uí Eachoida, located in the baronies of Fermoy and Condons.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a 12th-century chronicle of Irish history. The annals mention Aodh Ua Eochadha, a member of the ruling family, in the year 1192.

Another notable early figure was Domhnall Ó Eochadha, who served as the Bishop of Cloyne from 1339 to 1347. In the 16th century, Maol Muire Ó Eochadha was an influential poet and historian in the region.

In the 17th century, Dermot Keohane was a prominent figure during the Irish Confederate Wars, serving as a captain in the Confederate Catholic forces. He was later executed for his role in the conflict.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was John Keohane (1725-1805), an Irish-born British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He achieved the rank of Rear Admiral and was knighted for his services.

In the 19th century, Patrick Keohane (1847-1925) was a prominent Irish nationalist and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, representing the Cork City constituency in the British House of Commons.

The name has been well-represented in various fields, including politics, literature, and sports, with individuals such as Michael Keohane, a former Irish Fine Gael politician, and John Keohane, an Irish author and journalist known for his works on the Irish Famine.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keohane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keohane 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. Middlesex leads with 11 Keohanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.56x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11 2.56x
Glamorgan 10 13.38x
Devon 8 8.96x
Essex 8 9.44x
Dorset 5 17.75x
Kent 1 0.68x
Royal Navy 1 19.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 8 Keohanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.78x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 8 42.78x
Clerkenwell London 7 69.10x
Cardiff St Mary 6 145.63x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 87.21x
East Lulworth 5 10000.00x
Leckwith 4 2222.22x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 161.29x
Devonport 2 194.17x
Hampstead London 1 14.97x
Royal Navy 1 22.88x
Walmer 1 156.25x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

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 Keohane households.

FAQ

Keohane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keohane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Keohane surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keohane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 564 in 2016. That gives Keohane a modern rank of #9,103.

What does the Keohane surname mean?

A surname meaning "lively" or "warlike" that originated in Ireland.

What does the Keohane map show?

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