2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Keehl
German surname meaning "bald, bare or naked" from the Middle High German word "kal".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Keehl. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keehl 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Keehl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keehl
The surname KEEHL originated in Germany during the late medieval period, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "kehl," meaning "throat" or "gorge," potentially referring to a geographic feature or a distinguishing physical characteristic of an early bearer.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Mannheim City Archives, where a record from 1412 mentions a certain Hans Keehl, a merchant and landholder in the region. This suggests that the Keehl family had already established itself in the area by the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Keehls were prominent landowners and farmers in the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany. Notable among them was Johann Keehl (1523-1592), who served as a respected magistrate and was known for his fair and impartial rulings.
As the Keehls prospered, they began to spread across other parts of Germany and Europe. In 1674, a family by the name of Keehl settled in the town of Strasbourg, then part of the Holy Roman Empire (now in modern-day France). Here, they established a successful business trading in textiles and fabrics.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable figures with the Keehl surname. Friedrich Keehl (1712-1787) was a renowned clockmaker in the city of Augsburg, whose intricate timepieces were prized by nobility across Europe. Johanna Keehl (1732-1805), on the other hand, was a celebrated composer and musician who performed at various royal courts.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many Keehls sought their fortunes in the burgeoning cities and manufacturing centers. One such individual was Heinrich Keehl (1826-1892), who established a successful engineering firm in Berlin, contributing to the city's rapid development during that period.
Throughout its rich history, the Keehl surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, from landowners and merchants to artists, musicians, and industrialists. While its origins may be humble, the name has left an indelible mark across the centuries, reflecting the resilience and adaptability of those who have borne it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keehl
Among Census respondents with the surname Keehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Keehl 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 Keehl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 107
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keehl
Keehl appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,742 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 3,742 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 Keehl 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 | #147,253 | #143,511 | 2.5% |
| Count | 112 | 118 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keehl bearers went from 112 to 118 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 3,742 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #143,511.
FAQ
Keehl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keehl?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Keehl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Keehl?
Keehl ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Keehl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Keehl.
Has Keehl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keehl went from 112 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Keehl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Keehl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keehl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Keehl (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 Keehl mean?
German surname meaning "bald, bare or naked" from the Middle High German word "kal". 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 Keehl (0.04 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 are called Keehl?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Keehl is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.