Blair Collection > Surnames & place-names of the Isle of Man

Sitrnami^s of iEtaiiiie 0Viiain, 45
{Cianan is a diminutive of Cian, which is itself a
diminutive of a, * to weep.')
' Cianan, Bishop of Doimhliag, died a.d. 488.'*
Compare (Irish) Keenan, (GaeHc) Mac Kinnon.
Kynyne [1422], Keneen [1666], Kenen [1676], Caneen
[1729], Kaneen [1740], Kenan [1783].
A purely Manx name.
It is almost confined to the parishes of Andreas
and Jurby.
Andreas (vc), Jurby (c), elsewhere (u).
Kneen, probably also a contraction of Mac Cianain. In
our early documents it seems to be confused with
Nevyn or Ne\tne. Andrew John Nevyn is one
of the 24 Keys in 1417, while Jenkin M'Nyne in
1429 is called Jenkine Mac Nevyne in 1430. If
it is a corruption of Nevyn, which is common in
Scotland at the present day in the form Niven, it
will have quite a different origin : from (Gaelic)
Naomh, ' a saint.'
It is a purely Manx name.
Mac Nyne [1429], Kneene [1504], Kneen [1598].
Bride (vc), Ballaugh, Marown, Andreas, Lezayre, German,
Santon, Rushen (c), elsewhere^(u).
Dougherty, originally O'Dochartaigh, ' Dochartach's
descendant ' {Dochartach, ' stern ').
' Donnall O'Dochartaigh, lord of the territory of Kinel-
Enda and Ard Mire, died a.d. i i iQ.'f
The name is almost confined to the parishes of
Andreas and Jurby, and is now very uncommon
everywhere in the Isle of Man. In Ireland it is
very common.
* Four Mast., Vol. I., p. 153. f Four Mast., Vol. II., p. icxjg.