Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name O'Keenan is Ó Cianain.
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Early Origins of the O'Keenan family
The surname O'Keenan was first found in County Fermanagh (Irish: Fear Manach) in the southwestern part of Northern Ireland, Province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
Early History of the O'Keenan family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Keenan research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1600 and 1659 are included under the topic Early O'Keenan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
O'Keenan Spelling Variations
Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname O'Keenan were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Keenan, O'Keenan and others.
Early Notables of the O'Keenan family
More information is included under the topic Early O'Keenan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the O'Keenan family
A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name O'Keenan or a variant listed above: Bernard, Charles, Denis, Henry, Hugh, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Thomas and William Keenan all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between 1840 and 1870.
