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

Keil, 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 Keil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keil in America

Keil is the 5278th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keil surname appeared 6,603 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Keil.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keil 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 Keil

The surname Keil is of German origin, derived from the German word "Keil," which means "wedge" or "chisel." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked as a woodworker, carpenter, or mason, using wedges or chisels as part of their trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Keil can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around the Rhine River and in Saxony. The name is mentioned in several historical records from this period, including medieval tax rolls and guild records.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Keil was Johannes Keil, a stonemason who lived in the town of Erfurt, Thuringia, in the late 13th century. Records show that he was involved in the construction of the famous Erfurt Cathedral, which began in 1277.

In the 15th century, the surname Keil appeared in the town of Nürnberg (Nuremberg), where a family of artisans and craftsmen bearing this name became prominent. Hanns Keil, a notable woodcarver and sculptor, was born in Nürnberg around 1460 and created several intricate works of art for local churches and nobility.

Another notable figure with the surname Keil was Johann Keil, a German astronomer and mathematician born in Gundelsheim, Württemberg, in 1571. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and published several influential works on celestial mechanics.

During the 17th century, the Keil surname spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Scandinavia, as a result of migration and trade. One notable Dutch bearer of this name was Jacobus Keil, a wealthy merchant and ship owner from Amsterdam, who lived from 1635 to 1701.

In the 19th century, the surname Keil became more widespread in the United States due to German immigration. One prominent American with this name was Charles Keil, a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, who was born in Germany in 1826 and later settled in Pennsylvania.

Throughout its history, the surname Keil has been associated with various professions, including woodworking, masonry, astronomy, and military service, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keil

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

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

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

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