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

Keely, 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 Keely surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keely in America

Keely is the 14636th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keely surname appeared 2,033 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 Keely.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keely 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 Keely

The surname Keely originated in Ireland, specifically in the northern region of County Antrim. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "caol" and "caolaidhe," meaning slender or thin. The name likely referred to a person's physical appearance or stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Keely surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a certain Conchobhar Caolaidhe, who lived in the 13th century and was a member of the Uí Néill dynasty.

In the 16th century, the Keely surname appears in various legal documents and land records from County Antrim. For instance, a John Keely is listed as a landowner in the Rathlin Island area in 1585.

During the 17th century, the Keely family was involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 against English rule. A notable figure at the time was Patrick Keely, who fought alongside the Irish Confederate forces and was later pardoned for his involvement.

As the Keely family spread across Ireland and beyond, various spelling variations emerged, such as Keeley, Keelie, and O'Keely. In the 18th century, a prominent architect named James Keely (1737-1810) designed several notable buildings in Dublin, including the Royal Exchange and the Rotunda Hospital.

Another noteworthy individual with the Keely surname was Patrick Joseph Keely (1816-1896), an Irish-American architect who designed numerous churches and cathedrals in the United States, particularly in the Gothic Revival style. Some of his most famous works include the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In the 19th century, John Keely (1827-1898), an American inventor and alleged perpetual motion machine builder, gained notoriety for his claims of having developed a revolutionary motor powered by a mysterious force he called the "Keely Motor." Despite numerous public demonstrations, his invention was ultimately deemed a hoax by the scientific community.

Other notable individuals with the Keely surname include John Keely (1822-1890), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who co-founded the University of Notre Dame, and Michael Keely (1871-1962), an Irish-born American labor leader and president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1916 to 1924.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keely

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

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

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

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