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

Keeter, 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 Keeter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keeter in America

Keeter is the 12587th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keeter surname appeared 2,459 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 Keeter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keeter 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 Keeter

The surname "Keeter" is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the county of Kent, where it was derived from the Old English word "cete," meaning a small cottage or hut. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a small dwelling or worked as a laborer on a farm.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Kent, a census record from 1273. Here, the name is spelled "Ketere," indicating its close connection to the Old English root word. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 mention a John Ketere, providing further evidence of the name's early presence in England.

In the 15th century, the name appears to have spread beyond Kent and Sussex, with records showing individuals named Keeter residing in other parts of England. For instance, the Hearth Tax Returns of Oxfordshire in 1665 list a William Keeter, while the Parish Registers of Wiltshire from the late 1600s document the marriage of a Thomas Keeter.

Notable individuals with the surname Keeter throughout history include:

1. John Keeter (c. 1520 - 1595), a prominent merchant and landowner in the village of Cranbrook, Kent.
2. Elizabeth Keeter (1632 - 1712), one of the first English settlers in the American colony of Virginia.
3. Samuel Keeter (1678 - 1745), a Quaker minister and author from Pennsylvania, known for his religious writings.
4. William Keeter (1771 - 1843), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was present at the Battle of Waterloo.
5. Mary Keeter (1848 - 1932), an early feminist and advocate for women's rights in the United States.

While the surname Keeter may not be as widespread today as some others, its origins can be traced back to the rural landscapes of medieval England, where it likely referred to humble cottagers or farm laborers. Over the centuries, the name has spread across continents and been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from merchants and soldiers to religious leaders and social reformers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keeter

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

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

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

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