McKeon
An Irish surname meaning “son of Eoin,” a Gaelic form of Owen or Eugene.
The #4,839 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 42,393 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McKeon comes from Gaelic Mac Eoin, meaning “son of Eoin.” Eoin is the Irish form of John, though older surname writers often linked it with Owen or Eugene as well. In practice, the name belongs to the larger Irish Mac Eoin/Mac Eoghain family of surnames and reflects descent from a man named Eoin.
History
Older Irish surname authorities list McKeon alongside forms such as MacKeown, Keon, and Coyne, treating them as related or overlapping anglicizations of the same Gaelic root. The name is especially associated with Ireland, where spelling varied widely as Gaelic names were rendered into English. In modern use, McKeon is the best-known standardized spelling, though related forms remain common.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century writers sometimes grouped McKeon with surnames like Owens and Owenson, showing how loosely Gaelic names were often anglicized.
From the historical record
“Coyne, Owen, Owens, etc. ITlAC eom, MacEoin, MacKeon, MacKeone, MacKeown, Keon, Keown; J ohnson, J ohnston, etc. rriAC eocAC, MacKeogh, Keogh.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames