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Keegan Family History

Keegan Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Aodhagáin ‘son of Aodhagán’.

Aodhagán is a double diminutive of the old Irish personal name Aodh ‘fire’.

See McKay.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Keegan family from?

You can see how Keegan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Keegan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Keegan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 394 Keegan families living in Lancashire. This was about 47% of all the recorded Keegan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Keegan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Keegan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Keegan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Keegan. 20% of Keegan men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Keegan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Keegan were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Keegan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    20%
  • Wharf Labourer
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Keegan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 88,000 census records available for the last name Keegan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Keegan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Keegan

Passenger Lists

There are 20,000 immigration records available for the last name Keegan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Keegan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Keegan. For the veterans among your Keegan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Keegan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Keegan family history

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What is the average Keegan lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Keegan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Keegan in 1945 was 19, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Keegan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Keegan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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