Kean
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KEEN
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #4,301 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #7,675 for boys
Kean is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “ancient, enduring”. In 2025 it ranked 4,301st for boys in the UK (4 babies) and 7,675th for boys in the US (10 babies).
What does Kean mean?
Irish: anglicised form of Cian
“ancient, enduring”
In Irish myth Cian is the father of the hero Lugh; Edmund Kean was a celebrated 19th-century English actor.
Is Kean a girl's or a boy's name?
Kean is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 boys in the UK and 10 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Kean in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 4,301st among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 4 about 1 in 75,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fast up 100% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 4 boys in the UK were named Kean, making it the 4,301st most popular name for boys. Its busiest year was 2002, with 23 boys.
Half of all the boys named Kean in the UK since 1996 were born between 2002 and 2010, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 4,212th in England and Wales.
Kean in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | #4,301 |
| 2024 | 5 | #3,772 |
| 2023 | 5 | #3,712 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 1 | #6,364 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 7 | #2,823 |
| 2017 | 4 | #4,161 |
| 2016 | 6 | #3,241 |
| 2015 | 4 | #4,086 |
| 2014 | 1 | #6,179 |
| 2013 | 5 | #3,466 |
| 2012 | 6 | #3,167 |
| 2011 | 10 | #2,158 |
| 2010 | 6 | #3,092 |
| 2009 | 8 | #2,445 |
| 2008 | 13 | #1,696 |
| 2007 | 13 | #1,667 |
| 2006 | 16 | #1,369 |
| 2005 | 20 | #1,133 |
| 2004 | 17 | #1,183 |
| 2003 | 15 | #1,205 |
| 2002 | 23 | #865 |
| 2001 | 8 | #1,690 |
| 2000 | 16 | #1,021 |
| 1999 | 8 | #1,582 |
| 1998 | 10 | #1,346 |
| 1997 | 9 | #1,412 |
| 1996 | 3 | #2,949 |
How popular is Kean in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 7,675th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 10 about 1 in 170,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 14% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 10 boys in the US were named Kean, making it the 7,675th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 5,695th. Its busiest year was 2007, with 31 boys. It first appears in the records in 1944.
2025 had fewer boys named Kean than any year since 1993.
Half of all the boys named Kean in the US since 1880 were born between 1988 and 2012, the years shaded on the chart below.
Kean in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | #7,675 |
| 2024 | 17 | #5,439 |
| 2023 | 17 | #5,465 |
| 2022 | 14 | #6,141 |
| 2021 | 18 | #5,105 |
| 2020 | 15 | #5,695 |
| 2019 | 14 | #6,099 |
| 2018 | 22 | #4,472 |
| 2017 | 23 | #4,327 |
| 2016 | 23 | #4,326 |
| 2015 | 24 | #4,177 |
| 2014 | 27 | #3,784 |
| 2013 | 18 | #4,978 |
| 2012 | 29 | #3,622 |
| 2011 | 22 | #4,354 |
| 2010 | 21 | #4,516 |
| 2009 | 27 | #3,829 |
| 2008 | 30 | #3,558 |
| 2007 | 31 | #3,442 |
| 2006 | 24 | #3,998 |
| 2005 | 24 | #3,811 |
| 2004 | 28 | #3,364 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4,611 |
| 2002 | 18 | #4,316 |
| 2001 | 20 | #3,968 |
| 2000 | 20 | #3,916 |
| 1999 | 17 | #4,157 |
| 1998 | 19 | #3,704 |
| 1997 | 22 | #3,256 |
| 1996 | 26 | #2,833 |
| 1995 | 23 | #3,015 |
| 1994 | 22 | #3,103 |
| 1993 | 10 | #5,353 |
| 1992 | 14 | #4,106 |
| 1991 | 11 | #4,752 |
| 1990 | 11 | #4,667 |
| 1989 | 9 | #5,158 |
| 1988 | 11 | #4,157 |
| 1987 | 8 | #4,962 |
| 1986 | 9 | #4,453 |
| 1985 | 7 | #5,142 |
| 1984 | 7 | #4,969 |
| 1983 | 11 | #3,629 |
| 1982 | 10 | #3,964 |
| 1981 | 11 | #3,599 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 7 | #4,552 |
| 1977 | 9 | #3,834 |
| 1976 | 7 | #4,416 |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 7 | #4,052 |
| 1972 | 6 | #4,438 |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 9 | #3,280 |
| 1969 | 5 | #4,403 |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 5 | #3,964 |
| 1966 | 7 | #3,247 |
| 1965 | 10 | #2,615 |
| 1964 | 12 | #2,408 |
| 1963 | 9 | #2,857 |
| 1962 | 9 | #2,846 |
| 1961 | 13 | #2,321 |
| 1960 | 8 | #3,075 |
| 1959 | 10 | #2,662 |
| 1958 | 5 | #3,942 |
| 1957 | 12 | #2,374 |
| 1956 | 6 | #3,533 |
| 1955 | 13 | #2,218 |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 7 | #3,009 |
| 1947 | 5 | #3,731 |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 5 | #3,428 |
Names like Kean
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Finn, Keegan, Kian, Aiden, Declan, Kayden, Ronan, Conan, Keelan, Brayden, Brogan, Kody
Names related to Kean
Keanu, Keyaan, Keon, Kenan, Keyan, Keane, Kenai, Keano, Ken, Kena, Kenay
More Irish names
Oscar, Rowan, Rory, Maeve, Ryan, Nolan, Quinn, Orla, Cody, Erin, Connor, Casey, Kennedy, Callan, Lennon, Cillian
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Kean: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kean, updated 20 October 2026.