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

Keeley, 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 Keeley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keeley in America

Keeley is the 6141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keeley surname appeared 5,578 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Keeley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keeley 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 Keeley

The surname Keeley is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name O'Caollaidhe, meaning "descendant of the lean or slender one." The name is believed to have originated in County Galway, Ireland, during the medieval period.

The earliest known record of the name Keeley can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions a family of O'Caollaidhe residing in County Galway in the 13th century.

As the name spread throughout Ireland, it underwent various spelling variations, including Keely, Keeley, Kealey, and Keighley. Some of these spellings were influenced by the anglicization of Irish names during the English conquest of Ireland.

One notable individual bearing the surname Keeley was James Keeley (1846-1920), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas. Another prominent figure was Patrick Keeley (1816-1890), an Irish-American architect who designed numerous churches and buildings in the United States, including the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York City.

In the literary world, there was John Keeley (1789-1849), an Irish poet and dramatist known for his contributions to the Gaelic revival movement. On the stage, Lillian Keeley (1842-1925) was a renowned American actress and singer who performed in various productions during the late 19th century.

The name Keeley has also been associated with several place names throughout Ireland, such as Keeley Harbour in County Galway and Keeley's Cross in County Laois. These place names likely originated from families or individuals bearing the surname Keeley who lived or owned land in those areas.

While the surname Keeley is not as common as some other Irish names, it has a rich history and heritage that can be traced back to medieval Ireland. The name has been carried by notable individuals in various fields, including politics, architecture, literature, and the performing arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keeley

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

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

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

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