Declining since 2008, #7,679 for boys today.
Popularity of Kean since 1944
Babies named Kean per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 17 |
| 1950s | 46 |
| 1960s | 78 |
| 1970s | 45 |
| 1980s | 83 |
| 1990s | 175 |
| 2000s | 239 |
| 2010s | 223 |
| 2020s | 91 |
Meaning & origin
Kean remains an uncommon given name in the United States. First recorded in 1944, its peak usage came in 2012, though even then it never entered the top 1,000. The name has been on a declining trajectory since 2008, reflecting a broader trend away from single-syllable Irish surnames as first names. Currently, about 1 in 170,808 boys receives the name Kean, placing it at rank 7,679 for 2024. While the name has historical resonance through the 19th-century Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean, modern bearers are few, and the name has no strong regional stronghold according to Social Security data.
Kean is often considered a variant of Keane, which derives from the Irish surname Ó Catháin, meaning 'descendant of Cathán'. Cathán itself is a diminutive of 'cath', the Irish word for 'battle', so the name carries connotations of sharpness or boldness. As a given name, Kean gained some use in the 20th century, likely influenced by the actor Edmund Kean and the surname Kean.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Kean
Names that share Kean's style, for a brother or sister.
