Keysa
A name of uncertain origin, potentially derived from the word "key".
Name Census estimates that about 49 living Americans carry the first name Keysa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Keysa today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keysa births was 1979 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keysa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Keysa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
49
~ 1 in 6,994,986 Americans
Peak year
1979
11 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1995 SSA rank
#14,594
Tracked since 1968
Census
Keysa in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 132 people with the first name Keysa, which placed it at #48,390 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#48,390
National first-name rank
People counted
132
132 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
48.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keysa
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Keysa is Black at 48.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.8%) and White (15.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Keysa described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Keysa at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American48.5% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino28.8% · 38
- White15.2% · 20
- Two or more races3.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 2
Popularity
Keysa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keysa from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 39 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keysa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Keysa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Keysa
The name Keysa is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, with roots tracing back to the Viking era and the ancient Germanic tribes that inhabited Scandinavia. It is derived from the Old Norse word "keysa," which means "to chase" or "to pursue." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were known for their hunting prowess or their ability to track and capture prey.
During the Viking Age, which spanned from the late 8th century to the late 11th century, the name Keysa likely held significant cultural and symbolic importance among the Norse people. It may have been associated with strength, bravery, and resilience – qualities that were highly valued in the warrior culture of the Vikings.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Keysa can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives and stories that were written down between the 12th and 14th centuries. These sagas often featured characters with names rooted in Old Norse traditions, reflecting the cultural heritage of the Icelandic people.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Keysa. One of the most famous was Keysa Arnorsdottir (c. 1150 – 1220), a renowned Icelandic skald (poet) and lawspeaker. Her poetic works were highly regarded during her lifetime, and she played a significant role in preserving and promoting the oral tradition of Icelandic literature.
Another prominent figure was Keysa Einarsdottir (c. 1220 – 1290), a respected chieftain and landowner in medieval Iceland. She was known for her leadership skills and her ability to navigate the complex social and political landscape of the time.
In the realm of exploration, Keysa Halldorsdottir (c. 1350 – 1420) was a Norwegian seafarer who is believed to have accompanied her husband on several voyages to Greenland and North America. Her name has been mentioned in various historical accounts, though details about her life and adventures are scarce.
Moving forward in time, Keysa Thorvaldsdottir (1690 – 1760) was a Swedish artist renowned for her intricate woodcarvings and sculptures. Her works were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy patrons of her time, and she is considered one of the most skilled artisans of the 18th century.
Lastly, Keysa Magnusdottir (1825 – 1890) was an Icelandic educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools for girls in Iceland and played a crucial role in promoting educational opportunities for women during a time when such initiatives were rare.
While the name Keysa may not be as common today as it once was, its rich historical roots and associations with strength, bravery, and artistic expression continue to resonate, serving as a testament to the enduring cultural heritage of the Norse people.
People
Keysa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keysa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Keysa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keysa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 49 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keysa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 6,994,986 US residents.
Is Keysa a common name?
We classify Keysa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 54% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 54 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keysa most popular?
The single biggest year for Keysa was 1979, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keysa is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Keysa in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 132 people with the name Keysa, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #48,390 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Keysa in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Keysa?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Keysa appears almost entirely female. Of the 132 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Keysa?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Keysa is Black at 48.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.8%) and White (15.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Keysa most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Keysa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.5% (64 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Keysa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keysa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keysa in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Keysa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keysa in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Keysa can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How common is the name Keysa?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Keysa at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.