2000
#4,919
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,561
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.43
Rare Last name
Keim
A German occupational surname referring to a sprout or young shoot, likely denoting a farmer or gardener.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,049 Americans carry the last name Keim. That puts it at #4,876 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,583 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keim 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
8.0K
1 in 42,583
Census rank
#4,876
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,019 bearers of the surname Keim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4876th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keim, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.3%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keim
The surname KEIM is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "keim," which means "sprout" or "seed," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a field or engaged in agricultural activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KEIM surname can be found in the German town of Kaiserslautern, where a certain Johannes Keim was mentioned in a historical document dated 1295. This document, which detailed a land transaction, provides valuable insight into the prevalence of the name in the region during that time.
In the 16th century, the KEIM surname appeared in various other German regions, including Bavaria and Saxony. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled differently, such as "Keim," "Keym," or "Keimb," reflecting the variations in regional dialects and scribal practices.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the KEIM surname. One such figure is Johann Wilhelm Keim (1711-1784), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Giessen. Another prominent bearer of the name was Johann Georg Keim (1763-1824), a German philosopher and educator who wrote extensively on education and moral philosophy.
In the 19th century, the KEIM surname gained recognition in the United States, likely due to German immigration. One notable American with this surname was John Keim (1811-1891), a businessman and politician from Pennsylvania who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Another individual of note is Johann Keim (1840-1919), a German-born American who became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Ohio. He founded the successful Keim Milling Company and was known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions and community organizations.
The KEIM surname has also been associated with several places throughout history. For instance, the town of Keim in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, is believed to have derived its name from the surname. Additionally, there are several villages and hamlets in Germany with names such as Keimbach and Keimhausen, which may have connections to the KEIM surname.
While the KEIM surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other countries with significant German immigration. Throughout its history, the name has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from scholars and philosophers to businessmen and politicians.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keim
Among Census respondents with the surname Keim, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.3%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Keim 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 Keim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 6,611
- Two or more races2.3% · 159
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 155
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 27
- Black or African American0.3% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keim
Keim 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
#4,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,769
+1,208 bearers (+18.4%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Up 354 places
2020
#4,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,019
-750 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 2.35
Rank movement Down 311 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,919 | 6,561 | 2.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,565 | 7,769 | 2.63 | +1,208 bearers (+18.4%) | Up 354 places |
| 2020 | #4,876 | 7,019 | 2.35 | -750 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 311 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 Keim 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 | #4,565 | #4,876 | -6.8% |
| Count | 7,769 | 7,019 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.63 | 2.35 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keim bearers went from 7,769 to 7,019 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 311 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,565 to #4,876.
FAQ
Keim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keim?
Name Census estimates that about 8,049 living Americans carry the surname Keim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,583 residents.
How common is Keim?
Keim ranks #4,876 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.35 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 7,019 people with the surname Keim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,049), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.35 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 Keim.
Has Keim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keim went from 7,769 recorded bearers to 7,019. That is a decrease of 750 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,565 to #4,876.
What does the Census say about the background of Keim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keim, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.3%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Keim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (6,611 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (2.3%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Keim (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 Keim mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a sprout or young shoot, likely denoting a farmer or gardener. 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 Keim (2.35 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 Keim?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.