Surname Keniry - Meaning and Origin

Keniry: What does the surname Keniry mean?

The surname Keniry is an Irish surname and is possibly derived from an Anglicized form of an Irish Gaelic name. The origin of this name is uncertain; however, it is believed to have come from the ancient Irish Gaelic surname “Ceneire” or “Ceann Oire”.

In Irish Gaelic, the “Ce” element of the name signifies “head” or “chief” and the “Oire” element indicates “direction” or “order”. Therefore, this surname could also be interpreted as “head of the order” or “head of the family”.

The Keniry name first appeared in county Limerick and appears to be associated with the Duniny sept. The name is still common, especially around Limerick, but can also be seen around Waterford, Kerry, Cork, Dublin, Galway, and Tipperary. Variations on the spelling of this name include Kennyry and Kenry.

The Keniry surname was mainly spread throughout the southern Irish counties in the 18th and 19th centuries beginning with the plantation of Ulster. It is not as widely spread today, however, those with the Keniry family name are highly regarded in Ireland and beyond due to their significant role in Irish history.

Keniry: Where does the name Keniry come from?

The surname Keniry is a common surname found in both Ireland and England today. In Ireland it is found in County Galway and County Offaly, while in England it is predominantly found in the East Midlands, particularly Derbyshire, and all around London. The top cities in England where the surname Keniry is most frequent are London, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, and Sheffield.

The American branch of the Keniry family emigrated to Boston in the mid-1800s. The youngest son of the original Keniry family, Ben, is believed to have married a woman of French-Canadian ancestry prior to their move.

Today, the Keniry surname is especially concentrated in the United Kingdom, with over 11,000 people carrying the name as of 2018 in England and Wales. In the United States, the surname is much less common, with only around 2,500 people carrying the name. This has always been the case; when the US census first began collecting data in 1790, there were only 16 Kenirys in the entire country.

The Keniry surname is also present in Australasia, with most of its population located in New South Wales. Aside from this, carrying the Keniry surname is rare in other areas around the world, but there are pockets of families with this surname in parts of Europe, Arabia, and South Asia.

Variations of the surname Keniry

The surname Keniry is most commonly an Irish surname, deriving from the old Gaelic Ó Cianhigháird. The surname has several variants, spellings and alternative surnames of the same origin, which may appear as Keniry, Kennera, Kenora, or Kiniry and Kearney.

The Irish surname Kearney is the anglicized version of the Gaelic family name O’Cianhigháird. It derives from the Gaelic word ‘ciamh,’ meaning ‘wolf’ and was associated with the ancient Irish clans known as the ‘wolf men’ of South Munster. The name is most commonly found in County Cork and Kerry, where it is still one of the most common surnames.

The spelling ‘Kiniry’ is an diminutive form of the name Kearney. Alternatively, the ‘Kenira’ spelling could in fact be another anglicized version of the old Gaelic name Ó Coinneára, meaning descendant of Cionneára. This is an ancient Irish family settled in Rathmore, County Cork.

The ‘Kenora’ spelling may be an anglicized form of the Irish name Ó Conaire, meaning descendant of Conaire. This is the origin of the modern surnames O’Konnera, O’Canery or Keenera. The surname is most commonly found in Counties Mayo, Donegal and Down.

The spelling ‘Keniry’ is usually an anglicized form of O’Cianthoir, which is derived from the ancient Irish name MacCionaitigh, meaning descendant of Cianthoir. This surname is found most commonly in Counties Cork and Donegal.

In conclusion, the surname Keniry has many variants, spellings and alternative surnames of the same origin. Those include Kearney, Kiniry, Kenira, Kenora, O’Konnera, O’Canery, O’Cianthoir, and MacCionaitigh. It is most commonly found in Ireland, primarily in Cork, Kerry, Mayo, Donegal and Down.

Famous people with the name Keniry

• Dara Ó Briain: Irish comedian, actor, presenter and writer.
• Jack Keniry: Irish actor, writer and director.
• Aidan Keniry: Irish comedian and actor.
• Philip Keniry: Former Financial Times journalist and Chairman of the Railway Heritage Trust.
• Ross Keniry: Irish business person and current Chairman of Tourism Ireland.
• Tom Keniry: Irish Gaelic footballer from Kerry.
• Kevin Keniry: British former professional footballer.
• Enda Keniry: Irish former Labour Party politician.
• Maurice Keniry: Irish barrister and former Lord Mayor of Dublin. 10.David Keniry: Irish sculptor, illustrator, video game artist and theme park art director.

Other surnames

Kenirons