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

Keery, 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 Keery surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keery in America

Keery is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keery surname appeared 100 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Keery.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keery 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 Keery

The surname Keery is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "caoraigh," which means "sheep," suggesting that the ancestors of those bearing this surname may have been involved in sheep farming or related occupations.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Keery can be found in the Ulster Plantation records of the early 17th century, where it is listed as a variant spelling of the more common Irish surname "Carey" or "Keary." This connection to the Carey/Keary surname further reinforces the name's Irish origins.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Keery surname was concentrated primarily in the counties of Antrim, Down, and Armagh in Northern Ireland. Some notable bearers of the name during this period include John Keery (c. 1640-1720), a prominent landowner and member of the Irish Parliament from County Antrim.

As the centuries progressed, the Keery surname began to spread beyond Northern Ireland. One notable figure was James Keery (1826-1904), a Scottish-born businessman who made his fortune in the textile industry in Manchester, England. He later became a philanthropist and donated significant funds to educational and charitable causes.

Another notable bearer of the Keery surname was William Keery (1857-1929), an Irish-born engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Panama Canal. He was responsible for overseeing the excavation and construction of the Culebra Cut, one of the most challenging and significant sections of the canal.

In the 20th century, the Keery surname gained further recognition with individuals like Sir Michael Keery (1903-1983), a British diplomat and ambassador to several countries, including Iran and France. He was also a respected scholar and author, publishing works on international relations and diplomacy.

While the Keery surname may not be as widespread as some other Irish surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from politics and business to engineering and diplomacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keery

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!