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

Keister, 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 Keister surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keister in America

Keister is the 7317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keister surname appeared 4,560 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 Keister.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keister 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 Keister

The surname Keister originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "küster," which means "sexton" or "custodian of a church." This occupational name was likely given to someone who held such a position in a local parish or religious institution.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century. In these records, a certain "Henricus Kuster" is mentioned as a resident of the town of Mainz in the year 1274.

As the name spread across different regions of Germany, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Küster, Kuster, Kuester, and eventually, Keister. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name in official documents.

In the 16th century, the Keister name gained some prominence with the birth of Johann Keister (1518-1594), a renowned German theologian and author of several influential works on Protestant theology. His writings and teachings had a significant impact on the religious landscape of the time.

Another notable bearer of the name was Gottfried Keister (1670-1746), a German composer and organist who made significant contributions to the development of baroque music. His compositions for organ and other instruments were highly regarded during his lifetime and continue to be studied and performed today.

In the 19th century, the Keister name crossed the Atlantic Ocean with German immigrants who settled in various parts of North America. One such individual was Wilhelm Keister (1823-1892), a farmer and entrepreneur who established a successful agricultural business in the state of Pennsylvania, United States.

As the centuries passed, the Keister surname continued to spread across different continents, carried by individuals seeking new opportunities and settling in diverse regions of the world. While its origins can be traced back to the German-speaking lands of Europe, the name has become a part of the cultural tapestry of many nations, reflecting the historic movement and migration of peoples.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keister

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

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

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

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