2000
#9,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,996
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Keele
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "hills" in Old English, likely referring to a person from Keele, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,653 Americans carry the last name Keele. That puts it at #9,722 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keele 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 Keele with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,828
Census rank
#9,722
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,186 bearers of the surname Keele in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9722nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keele, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keele
The surname "KEELE" is of English origin, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English word "ciele," which means "chalk" or "chalky soil." This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a location with chalky soil.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Chele" and "Cele." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landowners and their holdings throughout England.
The surname is closely tied to the village of Keele in Staffordshire, England. The place name "Keele" is believed to have evolved from the Old English "Ciele" or "Chele," reflecting the chalky nature of the local soil. The earliest known record of the place name dates back to the 12th century, when it was written as "Kiel."
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname was John de Keele, a landowner and local lord who held lands in Keele and surrounding areas. His name is mentioned in several historical records from that period.
Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir Thomas Keele (1502-1572), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1563.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname appeared in various spellings, including "Keile," "Keele," and "Keel." One notable bearer was Richard Keele (1567-1641), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the chaplain to King James I.
In the 18th century, John Keele (1708-1786) was a prominent English surgeon and author of several medical treatises, including "An Account of the Pelvis" (1751) and "A Treatise on the Laws of Insolvent Debtors" (1768).
Another significant figure was Sir John Keele (1820-1898), a British civil engineer and surveyor who oversaw the construction of several notable projects, including the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the Manchester Ship Canal.
Throughout its history, the surname "KEELE" has maintained a strong connection to its English roots and the chalky soil of its place of origin. While the spelling may have varied over time, the name's essence and geographical ties remain deeply embedded in its etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keele
Among Census respondents with the surname Keele, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Keele 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 Keele surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 2,767
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 144
- Two or more races3.9% · 125
- Black or African American3.3% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keele
Keele 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
#8,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,661
+665 bearers (+22.2%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Up 993 places
2020
#9,722
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,186
-475 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 781 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,934 | 2,996 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,941 | 3,661 | 1.24 | +665 bearers (+22.2%) | Up 993 places |
| 2020 | #9,722 | 3,186 | 1.07 | -475 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 781 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 Keele 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 | #8,941 | #9,722 | -8.7% |
| Count | 3,661 | 3,186 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.07 | -14.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keele bearers went from 3,661 to 3,186 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 781 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,941 to #9,722.
FAQ
Keele surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keele?
Name Census estimates that about 3,653 living Americans carry the surname Keele. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,828 residents.
How common is Keele?
Keele ranks #9,722 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,186 people with the surname Keele. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,653), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Keele.
Has Keele become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keele went from 3,661 recorded bearers to 3,186. That is a decrease of 475 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,941 to #9,722.
What does the Census say about the background of Keele?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keele, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Keele in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (2,767 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keele appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Keele (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 Keele mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "hills" in Old English, likely referring to a person from Keele, England. 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 Keele (1.07 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 Keele?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.