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

Keams, 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 Keams surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keams in America

Keams is the 72568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keams surname appeared 268 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Keams.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keams 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 Keams

The surname KEAMS is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "ceme," meaning a ridge or hill, and was likely a topographic name given to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Kemme." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been derived from the place name "Keams," which was a locality in Cambridgeshire during that period.

In the 14th century, the KEAMS surname gained prominence in the county of Somerset, where it was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 as "Kemes." This area is known for its rolling hills and ridges, further solidifying the connection between the name and its topographic origins.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the KEAMS surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the development of the name, such as "Kemetun" in Gloucestershire and "Chemesfel" in Wiltshire.

Notable individuals who bore the KEAMS surname throughout history include:

1. John Keams (c. 1590 - 1658), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Winwick in Lancashire.
2. William Keams (1670 - 1745), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset, known for his philanthropic endeavors and support of local schools.
3. Elizabeth Keams (1720 - 1795), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Gloucestershire, who made significant contributions to the study of British flora.
4. Thomas Keams (1785 - 1860), a British explorer and cartographer who surveyed parts of the Australian outback in the early 19th century.
5. Mary Keams (1856 - 1932), a prominent suffragette and activist for women's rights, hailing from Oxfordshire.

While the KEAMS surname may have experienced various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Keames, Keymes, and Kemes, its connection to the Old English word "ceme" and its association with geographic features like ridges and hills remain a defining aspect of its historical origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keams

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

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 Keams 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 Keams 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 Keams was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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