O'Keefe Surname Meaning & Origin
What the O'Keefe last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the O'Keefe last name
Meaning of the O'Keefe last name: descendant of Caomh. O'Keefe is an Irish surname from Ó Caoimh, "descendant of Caomh", a personal name meaning gentle or noble. The last name is rooted in Munster, especially Cork. Abroad the apostrophe is often dropped as Okeefe for the same surname. Munster bardic tracts remember Caoimh lines that later appear under this surname in Cork.
Arms associated with the O'Keefe name
Coats of arms associated with the O'Keefe surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full O'Keefe family history
This is only a glimpse of the O'Keefe story. The full O'Keefe history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted O'Keefe coat of arms. Get the full O'Keefe report.
O'Keefe name FAQ
What does the O'Keefe name mean?
Descendant of Caomh. Common variants include Keefe, O'Keeffe.
Where does the O'Keefe surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a O'Keefe coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized O'Keefe coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).