Keenan

Keenan is a name used as both a surname and a given name. It is most common in Ireland and among people of Irish descent, but it is also widely used in the United States and other English-speaking countries.

As a surname, Keenan is of Gaelic origin and has been Anglicized from several Gaelic forms over the centuries. The exact origin can vary by family, and spellings such as Kean and Keane reflect common variants in pronunciation and transcription. As a given name, Keenan emerged in the Anglophone world in the 20th century and is used independently of its surname origins.

Notable people with the surname include Brian Keenan, an Irish writer and former hostage in Lebanon. Notable people with the given name include Keenan Cahill, an American singer known for his YouTube lip-sync videos; Keenan Ivory Wayans, an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker; and Keenan Allen, an American football wide receiver.

In popular culture, Keenan is the first name of the title character in the Nickelodeon series Keenan & Kel; the character Keenan Rockmore is portrayed by Kel Mitchell. The name continues to be used in various works of fiction and media in English-speaking countries.