Keegan
/ˈki.ɡən/
Keegan is anglicised from the Irish surname Mac Aodhagáin, a patronymic from the personal name Aodhagán, a diminutive of Aodh meaning “fire” in Old Irish. The full meaning is “son of the little fire.”
The Mac Aodhagáin family were hereditary lawyers and poets (brehons) in medieval Connacht, particularly associated with County Galway. Their legal and literary tradition makes the name notable in Irish cultural history.
Keegan peaked at No. 222 in 2007 with 1,707 births. In 2024 it ranks No. 594 with 482 births, declining significantly from its 2000s peak.
What the name Keegan means
English football manager Kevin Keegan, known as “Super Mac,” kept the surname in sports visibility. In the United States, the surname-to-first-name trend drove its adoption as a given name from the 1990s onward.
Three syllables—KEE-gun—fall naturally in English. The doubled-vowel opening and soft close give it an easy Irish lilt without requiring any phonological adjustment.
Parents choosing Keegan typically want an Irish heritage name that sounds contemporary and energetic without being as common as Liam, Finn, or Declan.
The name belongs to the wave of Irish surnames—Callahan, Donovan, Reagan, Flynn—that entered American first-name use through the Irish-American cultural identity of the late 20th century.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Keegan
Keegan - similar names
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