2000
#9,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Kegley
An English occupational surname for a keg or barrel maker, derived from the Middle English word "kegge."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,465 Americans carry the last name Kegley. That puts it at #10,163 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kegley 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
3.5K
1 in 98,919
Census rank
#10,163
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,022 bearers of the surname Kegley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10163rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kegley, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kegley
The surname Kegley has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "Kegelspiel," which translates to "game of bowls" or "skittles." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the production or playing of these games.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Kegley name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval records from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears as "Kegeleyr," which is believed to be an early variant spelling.
In the 15th century, the Kegley name was documented in the town of Mühlhausen, located in present-day Thuringia, Germany. A notable figure from this period was Johannes Kegley, a master craftsman and bowling alley owner, who lived from 1432 to 1498.
As the Kegley family spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including Kegeley, Kegele, and Kegeler. Some of these variants were influenced by the local dialects and languages of the regions where the family settled.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kegley name in English records dates back to the late 16th century, when a German immigrant named Hans Kegley arrived in London in 1587. He is believed to have been a master woodcarver and is credited with introducing the game of skittles to England.
In the 17th century, the Kegley family established a presence in the American colonies. Jacob Kegley, born in 1645 in Württemberg, Germany, immigrated to Virginia in 1678 and became one of the first settlers in the Shenandoah Valley region. His descendants played a significant role in the region's development and many of them served in various military conflicts, including the American Revolutionary War.
Another notable figure with the Kegley surname was Johann Kegley, a renowned German sculptor and woodcarver who lived from 1723 to 1798. His intricate works adorned many churches and public buildings throughout southern Germany.
In the 19th century, the Kegley family continued to spread across the United States, with members settling in various states, including Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. One prominent individual from this period was William Kegley, a lawyer and politician from Ohio, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855.
Throughout history, the Kegley name has been associated with various occupations, including skilled craftsmen, businessmen, artists, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kegley
Among Census respondents with the surname Kegley, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kegley 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 Kegley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 2,785
- Two or more races4.4% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 62
- Black or African American0.6% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kegley
Kegley 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
#9,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,391
+258 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 69 places
2020
#10,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,022
-369 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 576 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,518 | 3,133 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,587 | 3,391 | 1.15 | +258 bearers (+8.2%) | Down 69 places |
| 2020 | #10,163 | 3,022 | 1.01 | -369 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 576 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 Kegley 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 | #9,587 | #10,163 | -6.0% |
| Count | 3,391 | 3,022 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.01 | -12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kegley bearers went from 3,391 to 3,022 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 576 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,587 to #10,163.
FAQ
Kegley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kegley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,465 living Americans carry the surname Kegley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,919 residents.
How common is Kegley?
Kegley ranks #10,163 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,022 people with the surname Kegley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,465), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Kegley.
Has Kegley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kegley went from 3,391 recorded bearers to 3,022. That is a decrease of 369 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,587 to #10,163.
What does the Census say about the background of Kegley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kegley, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Kegley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,785 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kegley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Kegley (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 Kegley mean?
An English occupational surname for a keg or barrel maker, derived from the Middle English word "kegge." 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 Kegley (1.01 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 common is the surname Kegley?
If you just want to know how many people are called Kegley, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.