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

Keathley, 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 Keathley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keathley in America

Keathley is the 15090th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keathley surname appeared 1,955 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 Keathley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keathley 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 Keathley

The surname Keathley has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 11th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ceat" meaning a hut or cottage, and "leah" meaning a meadow or woodland clearing. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a cottage in a clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keathley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. This indicates that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, variations of the spelling included Keatelie, Keateley, and Keatlie. These different spellings reflect the regional variations in pronunciation and dialect at the time.

In the 16th century, records show a Thomas Keathley who was born in Staffordshire, England in 1532. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to use the Keathley name in the region for several generations.

Another notable figure with the Keathley surname was Sir John Keathley, born in 1645 in Yorkshire, England. He was a prominent lawyer and served as a judge on the Court of King's Bench during the reign of King Charles II.

In the 18th century, a William Keathley, born in 1702 in Derbyshire, England, was a renowned clockmaker and inventor. His designs for clocks and timepieces were highly regarded and sought after by the wealthy elite of the time.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Keathley name was in Virginia in the late 17th century. John Keathley, born in 1675 in Gloucestershire, England, emigrated to Virginia and established a successful tobacco plantation.

Another notable American with the Keathley surname was Samuel Keathley, born in 1789 in North Carolina. He was a soldier in the War of 1812 and later became a prominent politician, serving as a member of the Tennessee State Legislature.

The surname Keathley has its roots firmly planted in English history, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century. While it may have originated as a reference to someone living in a cottage in a woodland clearing, the name has endured and spread across the globe, carried by individuals who have made their mark in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keathley

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

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

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

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