| ![Show Contents]() Keirn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland Gaelic, otherwise known as Early Modern Irish, was used in Ireland from around the year 1200 until the 18th century. It is from this language that we found the first references to the name Keirn as Ó Ciarain or Mac Ciarain. These names are derived from the word "ciar," which means "black" or "dark brown." 1 Early Origins of the Keirn familyThe surname Keirn was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from ancient times. Early History of the Keirn familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keirn research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keirn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Keirn Spelling VariationsThe Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Keirn were encountered in the archives: Kieran, O'Kieran, Keiran, Keighran, O'Keiran, Kerin and many more. Early Notables of the Keirn familyMore information is included under the topic Early Keirn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Keirn migration to the United States | + |
In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Keirn family came to North America quite early:
Keirn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Henry Keirn, who landed in Mississippi in 1856 2
- Philip Keirn, who arrived in Mississippi in 1857 2
| Contemporary Notables of the name Keirn (post 1700) | + |
- J Keirn Brennan (1873-1948), American songwriter, who co-wrote the song "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" in 1912
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Fidens et constans
Motto Translation: Stand firm on trust.
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Keirn migration to the United States 
