2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Keeys
A surname derived from the Old English word "cæg," meaning a key or lock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Keeys. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keeys 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Keeys with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Keeys in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeys, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.3%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keeys
The surname "KEEYS" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from an old English word or place name. One theory suggests that it may have evolved from the Old English word "caeg," which means "key," potentially indicating an ancestral connection to a locksmith or a keeper of keys.
Another possibility is that the name is rooted in a place name, such as a town or village where the family originated. In some instances, surnames were derived from the names of residences or locations associated with the family's ancestral roots. However, there is no definitive record of a specific place called "Keeys" in historical records.
The earliest known reference to the surname "KEEYS" dates back to the late 13th century, with a record of a John de Keyes in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. This suggests that the name may have originated in or around the Yorkshire region of northern England.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where a Richard Keyes was listed as a landowner in 1349. This indicates that the family had established roots and held property in the Cambridgeshire area by that time.
One notable figure bearing the surname "KEEYS" was Sir John Keyes, a military commander who served under King Henry VIII during the 16th century. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was knighted by the King in 1544 for his loyal service.
Another prominent individual was Robert Keyes, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1693 to 1757. He was appointed as the Bishop of Peterborough in 1748 and made notable contributions to the Church of England during his tenure.
In the 18th century, a man named Thomas Keyes (1725-1804) gained recognition as a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. He was involved in various business ventures and was known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting local charities.
The 19th century saw the birth of Mary Keyes (1819-1899), a renowned author and social reformer from Philadelphia, United States. She wrote extensively on women's rights and advocated for educational opportunities for women during her lifetime.
Lastly, a notable figure from the 20th century was Admiral Sir Roger Keyes (1872-1945), a British naval officer who played a crucial role in the First World War. He was involved in the planning and execution of the Gallipoli Campaign and later served as the Commander-in-Chief of the British Naval Forces during the final years of the war.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keeys
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeys, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.3%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Keeys 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 Keeys surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American73.3% · 74
- White15.8% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 8
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keeys
Keeys 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-7 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,986 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,501 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 16,986 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 1,501 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 Keeys 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 | #153,769 | #155,270 | -1.0% |
| Count | 106 | 101 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keeys bearers went from 106 to 101 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 1,501 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #155,270.
FAQ
Keeys surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keeys?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Keeys. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Keeys?
Keeys ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Keeys. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Keeys.
Has Keeys become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keeys went from 106 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Keeys?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeys, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.3%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and Hispanic (7.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Keeys in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keeys appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (73.3%), White (15.8%), Hispanic (7.9%). 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 Keeys (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 Keeys mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "cæg," meaning a key or lock. 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 Keeys (0.03 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 last name Keeys?
You can see how many people have the surname Keeys on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.