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

Kei, 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 Kei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kei in America

Kei is the 95955th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kei surname appeared 190 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kei 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 Kei

The surname "Kei" has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "keie," which referred to a type of wooden pole or stake. The name likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who lived near or worked with these wooden poles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historical records of the city of Cologne, where a "Johannes Keie" is mentioned in a document from the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use in the Rhineland region during that period.

In the 14th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Kei," appeared in the records of the city of Nuremberg. This indicates that the name had spread to different parts of Germany and had undergone slight variations in spelling.

During the 15th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Matthias Kei (1430-1503), a celebrated German mathematician and astronomer. Kei made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and is credited with developing improved methods for calculating planetary orbits.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Johann Kei (1571-1647), a German theologian and philosopher. Kei's writings on theological topics and his work as a professor at the University of Heidelberg earned him a reputation as a leading intellectual of his time.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the town of Stade, where a "Hans Kei" is mentioned as a landowner in 1623. This suggests that the name had become associated with landholding and agricultural activities in certain regions.

Moving into the 18th century, the name gained literary significance with the birth of Johann Georg Kei (1715-1789), a German poet and dramatist. Kei's poetic works, particularly his pastoral poetry, were widely acclaimed and contributed to the development of German literature during the Enlightenment period.

Throughout the 19th century, the surname continued to be associated with various professions and occupations. Notable figures included Friedrich Kei (1824-1898), a German engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines, and Carl Kei (1856-1931), a prominent German architect best known for his design of the iconic Reichstag building in Berlin.

While the surname "Kei" originated in Germany, it has since spread to other regions through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where it emerged as a descriptive surname reflecting the occupations and lifestyles of its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kei

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

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

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

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