2000
#6,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.92
Rare Last name
Keeley
Derived from the Gaelic "O'Cadhla," meaning "descendant of Cadhla," a personal name meaning "graceful" or "beautiful."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,877 Americans carry the last name Keeley. That puts it at #6,381 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,321 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keeley 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 Keeley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,321
Census rank
#6,381
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,125 bearers of the surname Keeley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6381st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keeley
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Keeley 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 Keeley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 4,541
- Black or African American5.1% · 263
- Two or more races3.1% · 160
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keeley
Keeley 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
#6,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,578
+412 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Down 24 places
2020
#6,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,125
-453 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Down 240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,117 | 5,166 | 1.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,141 | 5,578 | 1.89 | +412 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 24 places |
| 2020 | #6,381 | 5,125 | 1.71 | -453 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 240 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 Keeley 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 | #6,141 | #6,381 | -3.9% |
| Count | 5,578 | 5,125 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.89 | 1.71 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keeley bearers went from 5,578 to 5,125 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 240 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,141 to #6,381.
FAQ
Keeley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keeley?
Name Census estimates that about 5,877 living Americans carry the surname Keeley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,321 residents.
How common is Keeley?
Keeley ranks #6,381 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,125 people with the surname Keeley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,877), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Keeley.
Has Keeley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keeley went from 5,578 recorded bearers to 5,125. That is a decrease of 453 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,141 to #6,381.
What does the Census say about the background of Keeley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Keeley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (4,541 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keeley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Black (5.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Keeley (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 Keeley mean?
Derived from the Gaelic "O'Cadhla," meaning "descendant of Cadhla," a personal name meaning "graceful" or "beautiful." 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 Keeley (1.71 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 common is the surname Keeley?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Keeley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.