Keeney Family Crest, Coat of Arms & Keeney Name Origin

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Origin of the Name Keeney

The ancient history of the name Keeney was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. The name Keeney is often a variant of the names Keane and Keene. These names are derived from the two great septs of O'Cathain. 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, their ancestor being Aibhne O'Cathain.