2000
#4,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,657
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.84
Rare Last name
Kehoe
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eochaidh," meaning "son of Eochaidh" (a personal name meaning "horseman").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,563 Americans carry the last name Kehoe. That puts it at #4,610 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,027 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kehoe 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 Kehoe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 40,027
Census rank
#4,610
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,467 bearers of the surname Kehoe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4610th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kehoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kehoe
The surname Kehoe originated in Ireland and is a derivative of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Céadóga. This surname is believed to have emerged in the 10th or 11th century. It is an anglicized form of the name meaning "descendant of Céadóg," which was initially a personal name derived from the Old Irish words "céad," meaning "hundred," and "óg," meaning "young."
The Kehoe family's ancestral homeland was in the ancient territory of Leix, located in what is now County Laois in the Irish midlands. This area was once part of the Kingdom of Leinster, where the Kehoe clan held significant influence. The earliest recorded mention of the name can be traced back to the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Kehoe surname was Tadhg Ó Céadóga, a prominent chieftain who lived in the 13th century. He is mentioned in various medieval Irish manuscripts and is believed to have played a crucial role in the political landscape of Leix during that era.
In the 16th century, the Kehoe family was among the prominent Gaelic clans that resisted the English conquest of Ireland. During this turbulent period, many Kehoes were dispossessed of their lands and forced to seek refuge in other parts of the country. This led to the dispersal of the name throughout Ireland.
Another notable figure in the history of the Kehoe surname was Father James Kehoe (1609-1653), a Catholic priest who was executed during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland for his refusal to renounce his faith. He is remembered as a martyr and is revered by the Catholic Church.
In the 18th century, Luke Kehoe (1725-1803) was a prominent merchant and landowner in County Wexford. He played a significant role in the economic development of the region and was known for his philanthropic efforts.
During the 19th century, the Kehoe family produced several notable figures, including Michael Kehoe (1805-1874), a lawyer and politician who served as a member of the British Parliament for County Wexford, and John Kehoe (1838-1918), a Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in Ireland.
The name Kehoe has also been found in various spellings throughout history, such as Keogh, Keho, and Keeho, reflecting the regional variations and anglicizations of the original Irish name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kehoe
Among Census respondents with the surname Kehoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kehoe 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 Kehoe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 6,833
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 265
- Two or more races3.5% · 259
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 63
- Black or African American0.4% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kehoe
Kehoe 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
#4,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,708
+51 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.61
Rank movement Down 315 places
2020
#4,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,467
-241 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 2.50
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,287 | 7,657 | 2.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,602 | 7,708 | 2.61 | +51 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 315 places |
| 2020 | #4,610 | 7,467 | 2.50 | -241 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 8 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 Kehoe 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 | #4,602 | #4,610 | -0.2% |
| Count | 7,708 | 7,467 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.61 | 2.50 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kehoe bearers went from 7,708 to 7,467 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,602 to #4,610.
FAQ
Kehoe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kehoe?
Name Census estimates that about 8,563 living Americans carry the surname Kehoe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,027 residents.
How common is Kehoe?
Kehoe ranks #4,610 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,467 people with the surname Kehoe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,563), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kehoe.
Has Kehoe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kehoe went from 7,708 recorded bearers to 7,467. That is a decrease of 241 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,602 to #4,610.
What does the Census say about the background of Kehoe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kehoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Kehoe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (6,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kehoe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Kehoe (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 Kehoe mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eochaidh," meaning "son of Eochaidh" (a personal name meaning "horseman"). 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 Kehoe (2.50 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 Kehoe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.