Find out how popular the last name Kea is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kea.

Kea, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kea in America

Kea is the 17625th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kea surname appeared 1,594 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kea to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kea

The surname "Kea" has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "ceatharnach," which means "warrior" or "soldier." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were skilled in combat or served in military roles.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Scottish parish records of Aberdeenshire, where a John Kea was listed in the year 1592. Additionally, the Kea surname appears in the historical records of the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Inverness-shire and Ross-shire.

In terms of historical figures bearing the Kea surname, one notable individual was Sir John Kea (1590-1658), a Scottish landowner and member of parliament who played a significant role in the Scottish Civil War. He was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause and served as a colonel in the King's army.

Another prominent figure was Robert Kea (1718-1793), a Scottish minister and author who served as the minister of Dundrennan Parish in Kirkcudbrightshire. He is best known for his work "The Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," published in 1774, which provided a comprehensive account of the Scottish Presbyterian Church.

In the 18th century, the Kea surname also appeared in the records of the Scottish Highlands, with Alexander Kea (1740-1815) being a notable figure. He was a prominent landowner and chief of the Clan Kea, a small but influential clan based in Inverness-shire.

Moving to the 19th century, one notable individual was James Kea (1812-1888), a Scottish-born civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of railways in India. He was involved in the construction of the East Indian Railway, which was one of the earliest railway systems in the country.

While the surname "Kea" has Scottish origins, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and the spread of Scottish populations. However, the earliest and most prominent historical references to the name can be traced back to Scotland, particularly the Highlands and Aberdeenshire regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kea

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kea.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kea was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kea has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kea was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kea, please contact us.

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