DNA test results, from a direct male descendant of our Daniel Kane (1840-1912), indicates the following ethnicity region of our branch of the Kane family in County Cork, Ireland. This ethnicity region identifies the region of South West County Cork and matches with genealogical records of our branch of the Kane family.
DNA test results for ethnicity regions were able to define the results from a general area of Ireland, to the Province of Munster, to the South West Province of Munster, to West County Cork and finally to the South West portion of County Cork, Ireland as indicated on this map.
A review of various research and studies of Irish surnames, as shown below, seems to indicate our Kane family surname is in fact related to the Kean, Keane and Cein family surnames of southern Ireland and specifically to County Cork.
Our Daniel Kane was listed in the 1860 census record of Washington D.C. with the surname of Kean. He was also listed in a Washington D.C. address directory with the surname of Kean. The Washington D.C. census records of 1870 and later, and the other Washington D.C. address directories list his surname as Kane. The cousins of Daniel Kane, who also emigrated from County Cork, Ireland to Washington D.C., were listed in various documents by the surnames of Kane and Keane.
Varieties And Synonymes Of Surnames And Christian Names In Ireland For The Guidance Of Registration Officers And The Public In Searching The Indexes Of Births, Deaths, And Marriages; Robert E. Matheson, Barrister-at-Law, Registrar-General; 1901, pp 46, 57, Alex. Thom & Co. (Limited), Dublin, Ireland.
page 46
No.; Surnames, with Varieties and Synonymes;
No. 971
KANE.
Cahan. 240.
Cain.
Cane.
Kain.
Kaine.
(Cain). 40.
Keane. 390.
[Kean]. 72, 381.
McKane. 216.
[O’Kane]. 216, 240, 367.
No. 974
No.; Surnames, with Varieties and Synonymes;
KEAN.
Cain. 22, 40, 420.
[Kane]. 72, 381.
page 57
No.; Surnames, with Varieties and Synonymes;
No. 1670
O’KANE.
[Gahan]. 206.
[Kane]. 216, 240, 367.
O’Cahan. 206, 254.
O’Caughan. 19.
O’Keane.
Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall, Irish Names and Surnames; Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Priest of the Diocese of Limerick, Member of the Council, National Academy of Ireland; 1923, pp 460-461, M. H. Gill & Son, Ltd. Dublin, Ireland
pages 460-461
O CEIN – I – O Keyne, O Kean, Kean, Keane; ‘des. of Cian’ (an old Irish personal name) ; the name of a Waterford family who were aciently chiefs of a district bordering on the River Mahon. To this family belonged, according to O’Donovan, the two great tragedians, Edmund Keane and his son, Charles John Keane. O Cein was also the name of a Derry family. It is now very rare and its angl. forms cannot be distinguished from those of O Catain, q.v.
https://www.gaois.ie/en/surnames/
About Gaois
Gaois is a research group in Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, DCU, comprising lecturers, researchers and postgraduate students. Our aim is to sustain and transform Irish language and culture through the development of innovative and trusted resources.
This is a linguistic database of Irish-language surnames. The database provides in-depth lexical and grammatical information regarding a selection of high-frequency surnames of Irish-language origin. Irish-language surnames in the database are arranged in clusters which contain their synonyms in Irish and their equivalents in English. Inflected forms of the Irish-language surnames are also given. The database currently comprises over 1,000 surname clusters. Population of the database was data-driven, and each cluster represents a surname of Irish-language origin that was registered four times or more to babies born in Ireland between 2016–20. We hope to continue expanding the scope of the database. Surname frequency data is provided by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Surname Cluster
Céin Ó Céin Céin
Céin Uí Chéin Céin
Céin Ní Chéin Céin
Kane Céin
Kane O’Kane Céin
Keane Céin
Keane Cathán
Keane Céin
The database does not provide a comprehensive set of variant forms, provides only limited etymological information, and does not give information on the genealogical or geographic origins of Irish surnames. For this, see the The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland by Dr Kay Muhr and Dr Liam Ó hAisibéil published by Oxford University Press.
The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland; Kay Muhr and Liam Ó hAisibéil; 2021, pp 354-355, 590, Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom and New York, N.Y.;
page 354
surname: Kane
During the time period of 1847-1864, records indicate the Kane surname was widespread throughout Ireland but was especially prevalent in the counties Derry, Antrim and Galway. By 1911, records indicate there were 5,581 Kane families within Ireland, but the Kane surname was especially prevalent in counties Antrim, Dublin, Derry, Down, Tyrone and Galway.
The Kane surname was derived as a shortened spelling of O’Kane, or as a variant spelling of Keane which was derived from O’Cathain which was mainly from the Province of Ulster (Northern Ireland).
page 355
surname: Kean
During the time period of 1847-1864, records indicate the Kean surname was especially prevalent in counties Waterford, Clare, Mayo and Derry. By 1911, records indicate there were 287 Kean families within Ireland, but the Kean surname was especially prevalent in counties Galway, Dublin, Down, Roscommon, Antrim and Cork.
The Kean surname was derived from O’Cathain which was mainly from the Province of Ulster (Northern Ireland) or from O’Cein which was mainly from the Province of Munster (Southern Ireland).
page 355
surname: Keane
During the time period of 1847-1864, records indicate the Keane surname was especially prevalent in County Galway in the Province of Connacht, counties Clare and Waterford in the Province of Munster. By 1911, records indicate there were 9,223 Keane families within Ireland, but the Keane surname was especially prevalent in counties Galway and Mayo in the Province of Connacht, and counties Clare, Cork, Kerry, and Limerick in the Province of Munster.
The Keane surname, and the variant surnames Kane and Kean were derived from O’Cathain in the northern part of Ireland and from O’Cein in the southern part of Ireland. Research also indicates the Keane surname may have been reduced from the surname of McKean or may have been a variant spelling of Kane.
page 590
surname: O’Kane
During the time period of 1847-1864, records indicate the O’Kane surname was prevalent in counties Antrim and Derry. By 1911, records indicate there were 2,210 O’Kane families within Ireland, but the O’Kane surname was especially prevalent in counties Antrim, Derry, Donegal, Down, Dublin and Tyrone, which are primarily in the Province of Ulster, except County Dublin, which is in the Province of Leinster.