McKeown
An Irish surname meaning “son of Eoin,” a Gaelic form of John.
The #4,805 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 41,966 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McKeown comes from Gaelic Mac Eoin, meaning “son of Eoin.” Eoin is the Irish form of John, so the name is ultimately a patronymic built on a biblical personal name. Historical spellings include MacEoin, MacKeon, MacKeown, Keown, and related forms.
History
The name is associated especially with Ulster in historical Irish records, including Antrim, Down, Armagh, Londonderry, and Louth. As with many Irish surnames, English spelling produced a wide range of variants, with McKeown and McKeon both common forms. Related surnames such as Keown and Cowan sometimes appear in older sources because of phonetic anglicization.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname collections group McKeown with several surnames that all trace back to the same Gaelic personal name Eoin.
From the historical record
“IvIcNachtan (strong as a bull) Mcoun. From the Irish Mac- J Iowan ; a p.n. Or see McKeown Mcrae. See Machree cy. See Maisey Alpin. See Alpin”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)