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

Keehn, 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 Keehn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keehn in America

Keehn is the 14768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keehn surname appeared 2,011 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 Keehn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keehn 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 Keehn

The surname KEEHN is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is derived from the Old High German word "kuon," meaning "bold" or "brave," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been individuals known for their courageous or daring nature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KEEHN surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 15th century. In this record, a certain Johannes Keehn is mentioned as a landowner in the town of Meissen, situated in the present-day state of Saxony.

The KEEHN surname was also present in the nearby regions of Austria and Switzerland during the Middle Ages. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Keehn (1522-1587) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. His legacy can be traced through various historical records and municipal archives of that era.

As the KEEHN family spread across different parts of Germany, various variations in the spelling of the name emerged. Some of these variations include Kehn, Kehen, Keehn, and Kehnen. These alternative spellings can be found in various regional records and documents from the 16th to 18th centuries.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the KEEHN surname was Johann Keehn (1608-1673), a Lutheran theologian and academic who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. His published works on theology and philosophy were influential during that period.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Keehn (1774-1838), a German composer and music theorist from Saxony. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of the Harmonielehre, a theoretical work on harmony and composition.

In the 19th century, a prominent KEEHN was Wilhelm Keehn (1831-1901), a German military officer who served in the Prussian Army and later became a general in the Imperial German Army. He played a significant role in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.

The KEEHN surname can also be traced to various place names in Germany, such as Kehnert, a village in Saxony-Anhalt, and Kehnen, a municipality in the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg in Hesse. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in their respective regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keehn

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

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

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

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