Surname McKeon - Meaning and Origin
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Discovering the Unexpected: A Journey into the McKeon Genetic History Through iGENEA
Venturing into the realm of genetics to explore family history, I took a DNA test through iGENEA. The unexpected results led to a fascinating journey into my ancestors’ history and a fresh understanding of my identity.
T. McKeon
read moreMcKeon: What does the surname McKeon mean?
McKeon is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Mac Eoghain, which means "son of Eoghan." The name Eoghan signifies "born of the yew tree," implying characteristics of resilience and longevity. Over time, the name underwent various spelling transformations and was Americanized to McKeon. Like many Irish surnames, the prefix "Mac" or "Mc" denotes "son of," thus giving the name its traditional meaning. It’s important to note that in the historical context, individuals carrying locational or patronymic surnames were identified based on their fathers' names or their residential locations. The name McKeon is quite common in Ireland, especially in the counties of Monaghan and Fermanagh. It's also fairly prevalent in North America due to the Irish diaspora. Today, people with the last name McKeon are found all over the world.
Order DNA origin analysisMcKeon: Where does the name McKeon come from?
The surname McKeon has Irish origins and is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eoghain," meaning "son of Eoghan." The name Eoghan is often considered to represent the Irish form of the name Owen or Eugene, which means "well-born" or "noble." The McKeon lineage was initially found in County Sligo, in the Connacht province of Western Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
Today, the surname McKeon is most common in countries that saw a significant amount of Irish emigration, such as the United States, Australia, Canada, England, and of course Ireland itself. It's important to note that within these countries, the name often bears various spellings due to phonetic translations during immigration procedures. Some variations include MacKeon, MacEoin, MacKeown, and more. Despite these changes, the surname can usually be recognized by the prefix Mac (or Mc), meaning “son of” in Gaelic.
Variations of the surname McKeon
The surname McKeon is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Mac Eogain, meaning 'son of Eoghan'. Its variants are a result of anglicization and different regional pronunciations across Ireland.
Variants of the name McKeon include Mckeown, McEoin, McEwan, McKeown, MacEoin, and MacKeon. Anglicized forms include MacKeown, MacKewan, and MacKeewan.
If we consider the meaning 'son of Eoghan', further variants include McGowan and MacOwen, derived from the same root 'Eoghan', which in English translates to 'Owen'.
The name Egan also shares this origin, being the anglicized version of the Gaelic Ó hEoghan, meaning 'descendant of Eoghan', and can be linked to other variations like Eagan, Keegan, Egan, MacEgan, Kegan, and Keagan.
All these spellings and their derivatives form a vast family group with a shared etymology and Irish heritage. Due to the widespread Irish diaspora, these names can now be found globally, especially in countries like the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia.
These surname forms can occur with or without the 'Mc'/'Mac' prefix. Plus, sometimes there is an apostrophe between 'Mc'/'Mac' and the rest of the surname.
Famous people with the name McKeon
- Maureen McKeon: fashion model
- Thomas McKeon: professional video editor
- Kellen McKeon: actor/host
- Jesse McKeon: NFL player
- Kevin McKeon: chef
- John McKeon: artist and lecturer
- Michael McKeon: author and political consultant
- Ryan McKeon: musician
- Kara McKeon: television host
- John McKeon: published poet
- Joseph McKeon: actor
- Helen McKeon: singer
- Richard McKeon: former diplomat
- Brian McKeon: former Obama administration official
- Bob McKeon: former professional baseball player
- Bill McKeon: retired politician
- James McKeon: Canadian film director
- Paul McKeon: Australian laser artist
- Jonathan McKeon: executive chairman at Eagle Pharmaceuticals
- Joe McKeon: former Division III college football coach