2000
#3,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,863
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.03
Uncommon Last name
Keefe
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Caoimh, meaning "descendant of Caomh," a personal name derived from caomh, meaning "gentle, kind."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,901 Americans carry the last name Keefe. That puts it at #3,374 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,800 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keefe surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Keefe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,800
Census rank
#3,374
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,378 bearers of the surname Keefe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3374th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keefe, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keefe
The surname KEEFE originates from Ireland, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "caomh," meaning gentle or kind. The name first arose in County Galway, situated in the western province of Connacht.
One of the earliest documented references to the KEEFE surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Maolmuire O'Caomh, who lived in the 13th century and held the title of Archbishop of Tuam.
In the 16th century, the KEEFE name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official records from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. This record documents the granting of lands and privileges to individuals, including those bearing the KEEFE surname.
One of the most prominent figures in Irish history with the KEEFE surname was John Keefe (1670-1731), a Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tuam who played a significant role in the Catholic Church's resistance against the Penal Laws imposed on Catholics in Ireland during the 18th century.
Another notable KEEFE was Patrick Keefe (1789-1863), an Irish poet and songwriter who was renowned for his ballads and satirical works. His compositions offered insights into the social and political climate of 19th-century Ireland.
In the realm of literature, Maurice Francis Egan (1852-1924), an American writer and diplomat who was born into an Irish family with the KEEFE surname, made significant contributions. He authored several novels and short stories that depicted Irish-American life and culture.
The KEEFE surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Keefeporth and Keefepark, both located in County Galway. These place names likely originated from individuals with the KEEFE surname who held land or settled in those areas.
Throughout the centuries, the KEEFE surname has undergone various spelling variations, including O'Keefe, Keefe, Keeffe, and Keeffe, reflecting the fluidity of Irish surnames and the influence of regional dialects and anglicization.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keefe
Among Census respondents with the surname Keefe, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Keefe bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Keefe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 9,683
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 288
- Two or more races2.4% · 244
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 101
- Black or African American0.4% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keefe
Keefe appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,028
+165 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 3.74
Rank movement Down 215 places
2020
#3,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,378
-650 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 3.47
Rank movement Down 99 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,060 | 10,863 | 4.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,275 | 11,028 | 3.74 | +165 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 215 places |
| 2020 | #3,374 | 10,378 | 3.47 | -650 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 99 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Keefe surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,275 | #3,374 | -3.0% |
| Count | 11,028 | 10,378 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.74 | 3.47 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keefe bearers went from 11,028 to 10,378 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 99 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,275 to #3,374.
FAQ
Keefe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keefe?
Name Census estimates that about 11,901 living Americans carry the surname Keefe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,800 residents.
How common is Keefe?
Keefe ranks #3,374 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,378 people with the surname Keefe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,901), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Keefe.
Has Keefe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keefe went from 11,028 recorded bearers to 10,378. That is a decrease of 650 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,275 to #3,374.
What does the Census say about the background of Keefe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keefe, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Keefe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (9,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keefe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Keefe (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Keefe mean?
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Caoimh, meaning "descendant of Caomh," a personal name derived from caomh, meaning "gentle, kind." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Keefe (3.47 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Keefe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.