Would Anyone Know What The Name "Keenan" Derived From?

Question

You may know that surnames were not always around, some time ago they were given to familys and their surname was relevant to a job that they may have had or a location etc. (the name Smith was derived from the title of blacksmith for example) but does anyone know what the surname "Keenan" could have, or did, come from.

I'm Irish and have an Irish background if that helps.

Thanks very much :-)

Answer 1

The origin of the name Keenan

diminutive of Keen
Irish, mainly Fermanagh: Diminutive of Keen, from the Erse nickname cian tall.

Hanks and Hodges [" A Dictionary of Surnames", 1988], however, regard the Irish Keen to be a variant of Keane, an anglicized form of Erse Ó Catháin descendant of Cathán, a personal name from a diminutive of cath battle.

(Lots more on Google: search 'Keenan family name'.....