Surname Keverney - Meaning and Origin
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Keverney: What does the surname Keverney mean?
The last name Keverney is an anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Eachthighearna, meaning “Son of Eachthighearna”. Eachthighearna was an old Irish name with many different spellings, such as O'Kearney and O'Ceirin. It is derived from the words “each”, meaning “horse”, and “tigerna”, meaning “lord” or “master”. As such, the surnames all essentially mean “lord or master of the horses”.
The earliest Keverney family was located in County Leix (now known as County Laois), Ireland, in the late 1500s. During this time, they were a sept of the powerful O'Moore family.
Keverneys were a relatively successful farming family. They owned significant amounts of land and were frequently seen in the courts, acting as witnesses or giving evidence in cases. They also had a few successful merchants in their family, too.
In more recent years, the Keverney name could likely be found in both Ireland and the United States. Even in the US, Keverneys have likely contributed to the Irish heritage.
If you think you may be a part of the Keverney family, it is likely that your ancestor was Irish and belonged to the Leinster region. Keverneys have likely traveled from Ireland to different parts of the world, but the Irish roots of the family have remained strong.
Order DNA origin analysisKeverney: Where does the name Keverney come from?
The last name Keverney is not particularly common today but has a long and interesting history. It is derived from the old Irish surname O Ceadabhain, which was derived from the Gaelic phrase “ceadmhadhain”, meaning “hearted”. The name has been around since at least the 16th century and is still found in Ireland and other parts of the world including the UK, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Keverney is a fairly rare surname, appearing only 1540 times on the US census in 2020. This is less than 0.1% of the population in the USA, indicating that the name is not especially commonly used here. Interestingly, Keverney is slightly more common in New Zealand and Ireland, appearing 662 and 690 times on the 2020 censuses of those countries, respectively.
The prevalence of the name Keverney suggests that the extended family of the O Ceadabhain family was wide-ranging and used the name throughout the world. Wherever it appears, Keverney remains a unique name with a rich cultural history.
Variations of the surname Keverney
The surname Keverney has a wide variety of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The surname is a patronym of the Irish "Mac an Mhaoilchosaigh" which breaks down to "son of the follower of St. Maolchonas".
Variants of the surname include Keveran, Kevern, Keverne, Keveron, Kivarney, Kevarney, Kevern, Kevorn, Kevran, Kevranne, Kevren, Kevrenn, Kevrin, Kevron, Kivarney, Kivarney and Kivearney.
Spellings of the name are Keverney, Keverny and Kevirny.
The surname is relatively uncommon and is particularly found in Counties Cork, Kerry, Galway, Waterford, Clare and Limerick.
The surname has a number of related Irish surnames, including MacElvor, Maceverry, Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, Ó Mhaoilchosaigh, Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, MacAvera, MacHaverick, MacHaveraigh and McEverard.
The surname is also found in Scotland in the border regions. In Scotland the variants and spellings of the surname include McEvarney, McEverin, McEvern, McEvin, McEvoy, McEwon, McKverne, McKeverny, McKeverin and McKevern.
Variations of the surname can also be found in England and Wales, such as Everard, Everyday, Evenden, Evensen, Evenson, Leverington, Levering, Levine, Levona, Levonto, Leveling, Levitt, Leverton, Leverington and Leverin.
Overall, the surname Keverney has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin due to the increasing pilgrimages to Ireland during the 19th century and the various locations in which the surname is found.
Famous people with the name Keverney
- Patrice Keverney, Canadian poet
- James Keverney, British scientist
- Marc Keverney, Australian footballer
- Adam Keverney, English actor
- Justin Keverney, Canadian football player
- Liam Keverney, Irish football player
- Alex Keverney, British politician
- Mark Keverney, British poet
- Joe Keverney, English cricketer
- May Keverney, American cyclist
- Chico Keverney, Cuban professional boxer
- Matthew Keverney, American author
- Fred Keverney, English rugby player
- Les Keverney, British computer scientist
- Rob Keverney, Australian soccer coach
- Kerry Keverney, American basketball player
- Kathryn Keverney, American wildlife illustrator
- Steve Keverney, English playwright
- Tom Keverney, American entertainer
- Susan Keverney, American entrepreneur