Keane Family Crest, Coat of Arms & Keane Name Origin

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Origin of the Name Keane

The Keane family history was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. There were two great septs of O'Cathain from which the names Keane, Keene and Kane are derived. The early anglicized form of the name was O'Cahan, but in modern times the forms Keane, Kane, O'Kane, MacCloskey and MacEvinney are most often used. The families of Keenaght and Coleraine were a powerful and important sept. Once established there they retained their ascendancy in the County, which is now County Derry, until they were ruined by the Plantation of Ulster . Many of the Sept appear in the Annals from the year 1170 onwards. The MacCloskeys of County Derry are another branch of the family, being descended from Closkey O'Kane. Another branch anglicized their name as MacEvinney or MacAvinny, their ancestor being Aibhne O'Cathain.