The McKeown surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,357 people carried this name — #4,805 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 40,200 people counted. That is up 2% from 7,199 in 2000.

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In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 175 births for the McKeown name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 7,800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The count includes the spellings McKeon and McKeone.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 115
Leinster 33
Connacht 25
Munster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

McKeown was recorded 55 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 475th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 74. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

McKeown in American newspapers,
1907–1909.

Newspaper page from Grand Rapids Herald-review carrying the name McKeown
Grand Rapids Herald-review 1909-03-03
Newspaper page from Grand Rapids Herald-review carrying the name McKeown
Grand Rapids Herald-review 1907-02-16
Newspaper page from Grand Rapids Herald-review carrying the name McKeown
Grand Rapids Herald-review 1907-02-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 18,542 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McKeown in Australian newspapers,
1850s–2010s.

12,579 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McKeown. The most, 3,625, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,857
Queensland 3,364
Victoria 1,753
Western Australia 1,528
South Australia 535
ACT (Canberra) 297
Tasmania 160
Northern Territory 36

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McKeown.

Who carried it

People named McKeown,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Tom D. McKeown
    Tom D. McKeown 1878–1951 · politician
  • Les McKeown 1955–2021 · musician
  • Thomas McKeown 1912–1988 · epidemiologist
  • Allan McKeown 1946–2013 · film producer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0.

In the public record

People named McKeown,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,231 records

2,231 records of the McKeown name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 843
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 352
  • Other U.S. records 1,036
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Charles P. McKeown

    Born 1913 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; asbesto from Queens County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1964, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sarah McKeown

    Arrived at New York in 1896 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 23; servant. From Belfast, Ireland; bound for Baltimore.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record James Mc Keown

    U.S. Navy veteran of World War I. Born 1880, died 1953; buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 2,231 records for McKeown in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia589 records

589 records of the McKeown name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 184
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 174
  • Other Australian records 231
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Jane McKeown

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Kinnear, sailing from Dublin in 1848. Native of Tyrone. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1849.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John McKeown

    Died 1888 in Gordon, Tasmania, aged 78. Will registered in Tasmania in 1888.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Maryanne McKeown

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Samaritan, aged 10; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 589 records for McKeown in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada114 records

114 records of the McKeown name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 52
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 19
  • Other Canadian records 43
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John McKeown

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Medway, landing at Quebec, bound for Oshawa, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Corine McKeown

    Died 2000, aged 52; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Elaine Iris McKeown

    Died 1965 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 114 records for McKeown in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom62 records

62 records of the McKeown name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 51
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bridget McKeown

    Died 1984, aged 77; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. McKeown

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Rose Ann McKeown

    Buried in 1976 at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 81.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 62 records for McKeown in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand32 records

32 records of the McKeown name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 17
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 9
  • Other New Zealand records 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Grace McKeown

    Died 1942, aged 56; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert McKeown

    Buried in 1898 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 55.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Gordon Alan McKeown

    Died 1990, aged 79; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 32 records for McKeown in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the McKeown name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Helen McKeown

    Born 1913 in Great Britain; died 1997 in Dijon (Côte-d'Or).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Derrick McKeown

    Born 1936 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Saint-Laurent-du-Var (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the McKeown name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Patrick Joseph Mc Keown

    Died 1963 in Weert, aged 18.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William McKeown

    Married in 1945 in Zeist.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with McKeown.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McKeown.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McKeown is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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