O'Keeffe (Irish: Ó Caoimh), also known as simply O'Keefe, Keef, or Keefe, is an Irish Gaelic clan based most prominently in what is today County Cork, particularly around Fermoy and Duhallow. The name comes from caomh, meaning "kind" or "gentle"; some reformed spellings present it as Ó Cuív and the feminine form of the original is Ní Chaoimh. As the primary sept of the Eóganacht Glendamnach, the family were once Kings of Munster from the 6th to the 8th centuries.
The original Caomh, from whom the family descend, lived in the early eleventh century, and was descended from Cathal mac Finguine, celebrated King of Munster and the most powerful Irish king of the first half of the 8th century. See the main article, Eóganachta, for more discussion, as well as Eóganacht Glendamnach, the specific sept of the family.
The O'Keeffes are famous for claiming descent from the goddess Clíodhna and have a beloved story about her marriage to Caomh (Franklin, pp. 81 ff). Her sister Aibell competed for his affections but Clíodhna ultimately triumphed using sorcery.
For all of their history the family has been strongly associated with County Cork. Originally the territory of the family lay along the banks of the Blackwater river, near modern Fermoy, and were active in the wars of the twelfth century between the O'Connors and the Eoghanacht dynasties of Munster.
However, the arrival of the Normans displaced them, like so many others, and they moved west into the barony of Duhallow, where their territory became known, and is still known, as Pobal O'Keeffe, where the senior branch of the family had their seat at Dromagh in Dromtarriff Parish.
The last chiefs of this branch were Domhnall O'Keeffe of Dromagh (d. c. 1655), who was prominent in the Catholic Rebellion of the 1640s, and his son Captain Daniel O'Keeffe, who was killed fighting for King James at the Battle of Aughrim in 1691. The family estates were confiscated in 1703, and sold to the Hollow Blades Company.
Even today, Pobal O'Keeffe is still the area in which the name is most common, with surrounding areas of County Cork also including many of the name. It remains relatively rare outside that county. In 1890, more than two-thirds of the births under the name are recorded in County Cork.
Like many of the dispossessed Irish nobility, the O'Keeffes were active in the service of the Catholic monarchs of Europe. In 1740 Constantine O'Keeffe (born c. 1670) was admitted to the French aristocracy on the basis of his Irish pedigree, and his long service. The bearers of the surname "Cuif", found in the Champagne district of northern France, are descendants of O'Keeffe soldiers.
The original spelling is with 2 ff's (O'Keeffe), and church officials recorded names as they were wrongly spelled, then often resulting in the name of a single person being recorded under several spelling variations, such as O'Keefe, Keefe, Keeffe, Keiffe, and others
Brian Ó Cuív (Ó Caoimh)
Andrew O'Keefe (born 1971), Australian TV personality
Arthur O'Keefe (1876–1943) American banker and mayor of New Orleans
Dan O'Keefe, writer and Seinfeld popularizer of Festivus, an annual secular holiday invented by his father Daniel O'Keefe
Daniel O'Keefe, editor and author, original inventor of Festivus
Dan O'Keefe, a former member of the California state Senate
David Dean O'Keefe (born circa 1824 or 1828, died 1901), Irishman who created stone money and became the virtual king of the island of Yap
Daniel J. O'Keefe (born 1950), American communication and argumentation theory scholar
Danny O'Keefe, (born 1943), American singer-songwriter based in Seattle, Washington
Dennis O'Keefe (1908–1968), American film actor
Dennis O'Keefe, the mayor of St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada
Derrick O'Keefe (born 1977), Canadian progressive writer, political activist and blogger
Eamon O'Keefe, English-born Irish former professional footballer
Eric O'Keefe (born 1961), American author, editor, and journalist
Eugene O'Keefe (1827–1913) founder of the O'Keefe Brewery in Toronto
Frank O'Keefe (1912–1989), Australian politician
Gerald Francis O'Keefe (1917–2000), Catholic bishop of Davenport, Iowa, USA
James O'Keefe (born 1984), American conservative videographer
James O'Keefe (cardiologist) (born 1956), Dr. James O'Keefe, MD: American author and preventive cardiologist
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (born 1978), American actress and model
John O'Keefe (disambiguation)
Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe (1923-2016), American politician
Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe IV (1946-2007), American politician
Joseph "Specs" O'Keefe, one of the participants in the Great Brinks Robbery
Ken O'Keefe (born 1953), American college football coach
Kerin O'Keefe American wine critic and author
Laurence O'Keefe (disambiguation)
Mark O'Keefe American comedy screenwriter
Michael A. O'Keefe (born 1942), Australian-American physicist
Michael O'Keefe, (born 1955), American film and television actor
Michael H. O'Keefe, American politician; convicted felon
Molly O'Keefe, American author.
Neil O'Keefe (born 1947), retired Australian politician and lobbyist
Ryan O'Keefe (born 1981), Australian Football League player
Sean O'Keefe, Chancellor of Louisiana State University, former NASA administrator and aerospace industry executive
Stephen O'Keefe (born 1984), Australian cricketer and current New South Wales player
Richard O'Keefe, computer scientist
Thomas O'Keefe (born 1964) American musician known for his work in the group Antiseen
Walter O'Keefe (1900–1983),American songwriter, actor and syndicated columnist
Alfred Henry O'Keeffe (1858–1941), New Zealand artist and art teacher
Batt O'Keeffe, (born 1945), Irish politician
Ben O'Keeffe, (born 1989), Doctor and New Zealand Professional Rugby Referee
Bob O'Keeffe (1881–1949), Irish hurler
Ciarán O'Keeffe (born 1971), English psychologist specialising in parapsychology and forensic psychology
The Hon. Mr Justice Daniel O'Keeffe (born 1943) Eminent barrister and former Irish High Court judge
Dan O'Keeffe (1907–1967), Irish footballer
Darren O'Keeffe (born 1978), Irish soccer player
David O'Keeffe, Irish jurist, professor of European law
David O'Keeffe (footballer) (born 1962), former Australian rules footballer
Declan O'Keeffe (born 1972), retired Irish footballer
Denis O'Keeffe, Irish hurler
Dennis O'Keeffe, British professor of social science
Eileen O'Keeffe (born 1981), Irish former international hammer and discus thrower
Eoin O'Keeffe (born 1979), Irish composer based in the UK
Frank O'Keeffe (1896–1924), Australian cricketer
Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986), prominent American artist/painter
Ger O'Keeffe (born 1952), retired Irish footballer
Graham O'Keeffe, Irish football player
Irene O'Keeffe, Irish camogie player
James O'Keeffe (1912–1986), Irish Fine Gael politician
Jim O'Keeffe (born 1941), Irish politician
John O'Keeffe (disambiguation)
Jonathan O'Keeffe (born 1977), birth name of Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Kain O'Keeffe (born 1987), Australian actor
Kerry O'Keeffe (born 1949), Australian cricketer and sports commentator
Kevin O'Keeffe (footballer) (born 1952), former Australian rules footballer
Kristin Bair O'Keeffe (born 1966) American novelist
Laurence O'Keeffe (1931–2003), British diplomat, ambassador to Czechoslovakia during the 'Velvet Revolution'
Miles O'Keeffe (born 1954), American actor
Natasha O'Keeffe (born 1987), English actress
Ned O'Keeffe (born 1942), Irish politician
Paddy O'Keeffe (born 1864), Irish hurler
Padraig O'Keeffe (1887–1963), Irish traditional musician
Patrick O'Keeffe (politician) (died 1973), Irish politician
Patrick O'Keeffe (writer) (born 1964), Irish-American short story writer
Rhys O'Keeffe (born 1990), Australian rules footballer
Sean O'Keeffe (born 1982), Australian rules footballer
Susan O'Keeffe, Irish politician and journalist
Timothy O'Keeffe (1926–1994), Irish editor and publisher
Trevor O'Keeffe (1968–1987), Irish man who was murdered while hitchhiking in France
Calvin O'Keefe, major character in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quartet series
Jimmy Keefe, cousin of Tommy Gavin from Rescue Me TV Series
Polly O'Keefe, protagonist of the Madeleine L'Engle novels
Carling O'Keefe, a Canadian brewery
O'Keefe, an album by singer-songwriter Danny O'Keefe
The O'Keefes, a short-lived television series
