2000
#10,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,808
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Keever
An English occupational surname for a person who made or sold vats, tubs, or barrels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,932 Americans carry the last name Keever. That puts it at #11,725 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,901 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keever 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
2.9K
1 in 116,901
Census rank
#11,725
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,557 bearers of the surname Keever in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11725th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keever, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keever
The surname "KEEVER" is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cæfer," meaning "beetle" or "chafer." This suggests that the name may have initially been bestowed upon someone who bore a resemblance to these insects or perhaps had a profession related to them.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, dating back to 1589. Here, a certain John Keever is mentioned as a resident of the area. Additionally, there are references to the surname in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which were a series of oaths of allegiance taken by English subjects during the early years of the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the surname "KEEVER" also appeared in various parts of Lincolnshire, particularly in the villages of Alford and Spilsby. One notable individual was William Keever, born in Alford in 1632, who served as a parish clerk and is mentioned in the church records of the time.
As the centuries progressed, the name spread to other regions of England, with variations in spelling emerging, such as "Keever," "Kever," and "Keeper." In the 19th century, a prominent figure bearing this surname was James Keever, a renowned architect from Yorkshire who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Exchange in Leeds (1865-1867).
Another historical figure with the surname "KEEVER" was John Keever, born in 1804 in Nottinghamshire. He was a pioneering engineer who played a significant role in the development of early steam engines and is credited with several important innovations in the field.
Across the Atlantic, the name "KEEVER" also found its way to the American colonies, with records indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in Virginia and Maryland as early as the 17th century. One notable example is Thomas Keever, born in 1675 in Virginia, who served as a member of the House of Burgesses, the legislative body of the Virginia Colony.
Throughout its history, the surname "KEEVER" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, artisans, clergymen, and even military personnel. While the exact origins and meaning of the name may be subject to debate, its enduring presence across generations and continents serves as a testament to its rich and diverse heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keever
Among Census respondents with the surname Keever, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Keever 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 Keever surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 2,308
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 115
- Two or more races3.8% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keever
Keever 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
#9,596
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,386
+578 bearers (+20.6%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 898 places
2020
#11,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,557
-829 bearers (-24.5%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 2,129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,494 | 2,808 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,596 | 3,386 | 1.15 | +578 bearers (+20.6%) | Up 898 places |
| 2020 | #11,725 | 2,557 | 0.86 | -829 bearers (-24.5%) | Down 2,129 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 Keever 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 | #9,596 | #11,725 | -22.2% |
| Count | 3,386 | 2,557 | -24.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 0.86 | -25.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keever bearers went from 3,386 to 2,557 (-24.5% change). The surname moved down 2,129 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,596 to #11,725.
FAQ
Keever surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keever?
Name Census estimates that about 2,932 living Americans carry the surname Keever. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,901 residents.
How common is Keever?
Keever ranks #11,725 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,557 people with the surname Keever. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,932), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Keever.
Has Keever become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keever went from 3,386 recorded bearers to 2,557. That is a decrease of 829 (-24.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,596 to #11,725.
What does the Census say about the background of Keever?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keever, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Keever in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (2,308 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keever appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Keever (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 Keever mean?
An English occupational surname for a person who made or sold vats, tubs, or barrels. 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 Keever (0.86 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 Americans have the surname Keever?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.