Kean Family Reunion

Date: [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Kean

This information comes from, "Book of Irish Names", Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York as researched in Salt Lake City, Utah. We had traveled to the Mormon library twice, in an attempt to find as much documented information as possible.

Keane Ó Cathain Kane

The Keane/Kane family were originally Mac Cathain of West Clare, Ó Cahain of Ulster and Ó Céin of Munster. In time their Anglicization as Keane, Kane, made their topographical origins difficult to define. Their name derives from the personal name Cian. Blosky O Kane, who slew the heir to the throne in the 12th century, was the forefather of the MacCloskeys, Aibhne Ó Catháin's descendants became the Mc Evinneys. The Kanes tend to be numerous in Ulster while the Keanes are usually to be found in Munster and Connacht (Ireland). For centuries, both at home and far afield, the Kanes/Keanes were active military men. In the 18th century there were 14 O Keane brothers serving in Europe. In the 19th century, Kanes and Keanes were prominent in the sciences, architecture and the arts. The great acting family of Edmund Kean and his son Charles had their origins in Waterford. The popular playwright-publican, John B. Keane, is a Kerryman. John Keane and James Keane, at different periods, were two of many Irish-Americans who filled the post of Bishop of Dubuque in Iowa, USA.

KANE, KAIN, KEAN, KEANE, KEENE (The Kean family in Iowa) Kane and O'Kane are the most common anglicised version of the Irish Ó Catháin, from a diminutive of cath, meaning 'battle'. Kane and O'Kane are most frequent in Ulster, where Ó Catháin arose as a surname in the Laggan district of east Donegal, as part of the Cinéal Eoghain, the large group of families descended from Eoghan, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, the fifth-century monarch who founded the Uí Néill dynasty and was supposedly responsible for the kidnapping of St. Patrick to Ireland. In the twelfth century these Ulster Ó Catháin conquered a large territory to the east of their original homeland around Coleraine and Keenaght in what is now Co. Derry, and remained powerful and important in that area down to the wars in the seventeenth century. Their last chief died in the Tower of London in 1628. Two other common surnames McClosky and McAvinney, are offshoots of Ó Catháin. Kane remains particularly common in the Coleraine district of Co. Derry, and in the adjoining county of Antrim.---Clans and Families of Ireland; John Grenham

Coat of Arms: Blue shield with a wavy bend.

Surname History: Spelling variations include: Cain, Caine, Kane, Kain, Cahan, O'Cahan, Kean, Keane and many more.

First found in in Londonderry where they had been seated from very ancient times. Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Christopher Cain or Cayne who settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1639, and died in 1653, he had two sons, Jonathon and Nathaniel; Charles Cain settled in Virginia in 1654; the family also settled in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and California; also the Cayne and others.Information © by Swyrich Corporation

Cian (m) "ancient", An early Irish name which is still in use today. Kian and Kean are variants. It was occasionally anglicized as Cain.

Cain (m) Hebrew, "smith". The name was used to anglicize Cian, though why the name of such an unedifying Biblical character should have been chosen is something of a mystery. The use of this name is not confined to Ireland. Dunkling notes that he has traced 6 bearers of it.

"Book of IRISH NAMES", Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York

Our side of the Kean family does come from the Bancroft MI USA area. We are still looking for his date of arrival in the States (Ellis Island). I can tell you this though, all Keans, regardless of the spelling, are related to each other.

Family members who were invited or attended:

• Thomas Kean