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Keon History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Keon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Keon family in Ireland was Mac Eogain in Connacht, and Mac Eoin in east Ulster. Both of these names connote a "son of John," or "son of Owen." 1

Early Origins of the Keon family

The surname Keon was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where the first people to use this surname are thought to have originated. Soon thereafter, the name was also found in neighboring Leitrim.

Early History of the Keon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keon research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keon Spelling Variations

The 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 Keon were encountered in the archives: Keon, MacKeon, MacKeown, MacKewan, MacKoun, MacWing, Hone, MacOwen, Mageown and many more.

Early Notables of the Keon family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

MacKeon of Leitrim

Keon migration to the United States +

Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Keon:

Keon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bridget Keon, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 2
J Keon, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 2
James Keon, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 2
John Keon, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 2
Joseph Keon, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Keon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Miss. Ann Keon, aged 4 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Wolfville" departing 25th April 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but she died on board 3
Mr. Miles Keon, aged 40 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Rose" departing 19th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 1st July 1847 but he died on board 3

Keon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Keon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Bridget Keon, (b. 1794), aged 24, Irish servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for house robbery, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 26th July 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Keon migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Keon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Ann Keon, British settler travelling from London with 2 children aboard the ship "Queen of the Deep" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th June 1854 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Keon (post 1700) +

John J. Keon, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 25th District, 1932; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 8th District, 1934 6
Miles Keon (1821-1875), Irish journalist, novelist, and colonial secretary of Bermuda
Wilbert Joseph Keon OC (1935-2019), Canadian heart surgeon, researcher and Canadian Senator
David Michael Keon (b. 1940), Canadian professional (NHL) hockey player
Standish Michael "Stan" Keon (1915-1987), Australian politician

Citations +

Moore, A.W., Manx Names. London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1906. Print
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 82)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html