2000
#3,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,930
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.05
Uncommon Last name
Keeler
An occupational surname denoting a bargeman or boatman who steers a barge or boat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,453 Americans carry the last name Keeler. That puts it at #3,245 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keeler 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 Keeler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,524
Census rank
#3,245
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,860 bearers of the surname Keeler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3245th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keeler
The surname Keeler is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "cȳlre," which means "chalker" or "lime-burner." This occupational name was given to those who worked with lime or chalk, likely referring to those involved in the production of lime for building or agricultural purposes.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 12th century in Norfolk, England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John le Kylere, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Norfolk in 1198. The name also appears in various other historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202, where a Thomas le Kelere is listed.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in its more modern spelling of Keeler, as evidenced by records from Cambridgeshire mentioning a Richard Keeler in 1273. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where many places derived their names from the Old English word "cȳlre," such as Kilverstone in Norfolk.
One notable individual bearing the Keeler surname was John Keeler (c. 1590-1664), an English settler who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 1600s. He was among the founders of the town of Boylston, Massachusetts, and his descendants played a significant role in the region's development.
Another prominent figure was Samuel Keeler (1661-1753), an American colonial militia officer and politician from Connecticut. He served as a deputy to the Connecticut General Assembly and was involved in the defense of the colony during the French and Indian War.
In the literary world, Ruby Keeler (1909-1993) was an American actress, dancer, and singer who rose to fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals. She is best known for her performances in films such as 42nd Street (1933) and Footlight Parade (1933).
Ralph Keeler (1914-1987) was an American architect who designed numerous notable buildings in the Southwestern United States, including the Phoenix Art Museum and the Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The Keeler surname has also been associated with scientific achievements. James Edward Keeler (1857-1900) was an American astrophysicist and pioneering spectroscopist who made significant contributions to the study of stellar spectra and the discovery of the Keeler Gap in Saturn's rings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keeler
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Keeler 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 Keeler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 9,396
- Two or more races4.2% · 460
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 423
- Black or African American3.7% · 400
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 76
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keeler
Keeler 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
#3,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,546
+616 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 3.91
Rank movement Down 84 places
2020
#3,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,860
-686 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 3.63
Rank movement Down 121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,040 | 10,930 | 4.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,124 | 11,546 | 3.91 | +616 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 84 places |
| 2020 | #3,245 | 10,860 | 3.63 | -686 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 121 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 Keeler 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 | #3,124 | #3,245 | -3.9% |
| Count | 11,546 | 10,860 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.91 | 3.63 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keeler bearers went from 11,546 to 10,860 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 121 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,124 to #3,245.
FAQ
Keeler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keeler?
Name Census estimates that about 12,453 living Americans carry the surname Keeler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,524 residents.
How common is Keeler?
Keeler ranks #3,245 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,860 people with the surname Keeler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,453), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Keeler.
Has Keeler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keeler went from 11,546 recorded bearers to 10,860. That is a decrease of 686 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,124 to #3,245.
What does the Census say about the background of Keeler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (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 Keeler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (9,396 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keeler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (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 Keeler (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 Keeler mean?
An occupational surname denoting a bargeman or boatman who steers a barge or boat. 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 Keeler (3.63 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 Americans have the surname Keeler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.