2000
#33,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 637
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Keesey
A variant spelling of the English surname Kesey, which may have derived from the village of Keyzor in Leicestershire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 720 Americans carry the last name Keesey. That puts it at #38,010 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 476,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keesey 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.
Bearers in the US
720
1 in 476,048
Census rank
#38,010
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
628
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 628 bearers of the surname Keesey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38010th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keesey, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keesey
The surname Keesey is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be a variant of the German surname Kessel, derived from the Old High German word "kezzel," which means "kettle" or "cauldron." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked as a maker or seller of kettles or cauldrons.
In its earliest recorded forms, the name was spelled in various ways, including Kesey, Keesee, and Keesey. These variations likely arose due to differences in local dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. The Keesey spelling appears to have become more widespread and standardized in the 17th and 18th centuries.
One of the earliest known references to the name Keesey can be found in the German church records from the late 16th century in the region of Saxony. These records mention individuals with the surname Kessel, which later evolved into Keesey. However, it is important to note that the Keesey spelling itself may have emerged even earlier, as record-keeping practices were not always consistent or comprehensive.
In the 17th century, the name Keesey began to appear in various historical documents and records across German-speaking regions. For example, Johann Keesey (1624-1692), a German theologian and author, is mentioned in several academic works of his time. Another notable figure was Hans Keesey (1658-1723), a merchant and landowner from the town of Heidelberg.
As the centuries progressed, the Keesey surname spread beyond Germany, with many individuals bearing the name migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One such individual was Wilhelm Keesey (1789-1865), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania, United States, in the early 19th century. He worked as a farmer and is believed to have been among the earliest bearers of the Keesey surname in North America.
Another prominent figure was Margaretha Keesey (1812-1892), a German-American author and poet who wrote extensively about her experiences as an immigrant in the United States. Her works provided valuable insights into the lives of German settlers in the 19th century.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Keesey surname continued to be found across various regions, with individuals like Wilhelm Keesey (1845-1923), a German-American businessman and philanthropist, and Anna Keesey (1878-1964), a German-American educator and women's rights activist, making notable contributions to their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keesey
Among Census respondents with the surname Keesey, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Keesey 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 Keesey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 568
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 24
- Two or more races2.5% · 16
- Black or African American1.8% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keesey
Keesey 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
#36,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 607
-30 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 3,053 places
2020
#38,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 628
+21 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,735 | 637 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,788 | 607 | 0.21 | -30 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 3,053 places |
| 2020 | #38,010 | 628 | 0.21 | +21 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 1,222 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 Keesey 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 | #36,788 | #38,010 | -3.3% |
| Count | 607 | 628 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keesey bearers went from 607 to 628 (+3.5% change). The surname moved down 1,222 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,788 to #38,010.
FAQ
Keesey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keesey?
Name Census estimates that about 720 living Americans carry the surname Keesey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 476,048 residents.
How common is Keesey?
Keesey ranks #38,010 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 628 people with the surname Keesey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (720), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Keesey.
Has Keesey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keesey went from 607 recorded bearers to 628. That is an increase of 21 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #36,788 to #38,010.
What does the Census say about the background of Keesey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keesey, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Keesey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (568 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keesey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Keesey (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 Keesey mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Kesey, which may have derived from the village of Keyzor in Leicestershire. 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 Keesey (0.21 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 people have the surname Keesey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.