Keoghan

Keoghan is a surname of Irish origin, an Anglicized form associated with Gaelic family names that share a common root with Keogh. The spelling Keoghan is most commonly found in Ireland and among people of Irish descent abroad, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The name reflects historical processes by which Gaelic names were rendered into English during the medieval and early modern periods.

The precise Gaelic origin can vary by family, but the name is generally linked to patronymic naming practices—descendants of an ancestor bearing a given name such as Eoghan or a related Gaelic form—in medieval Ireland. The modern form Keoghan represents one of several related spellings that emerged as Gaelic names were adapted into English.

Notable people with the surname include Barry Keoghan (born 1992), an Irish actor known for roles in films such as Dunkirk (2017), The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), and The Green Knight (2021).

Related surnames include Keogh, from which Keoghan evolved in some families. The name is primarily associated with Ireland and the global Irish diaspora.