2000
#32,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 673
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Rare Last name
Keita
A surname of West African origin, possibly meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous" in various languages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,045 Americans carry the last name Keita. That puts it at #11,356 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,563 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keita 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 Keita with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,563
Census rank
#11,356
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,655 bearers of the surname Keita in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11356th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keita, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and White (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keita
The surname Keita has its origins in the West African nation of Mali. It is believed to have emerged during the 13th century, when the Mali Empire was at its peak. The name is derived from the Mandinka word "keita," which means "warrior" or "conqueror."
The Keita surname was initially associated with the ruling dynasty of the Mali Empire, which was founded by Sundiata Keita in the early 13th century. Sundiata Keita (c. 1217-1260) was a legendary figure who united the Mandinka people and established the Mali Empire as a major power in West Africa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Keita surname can be found in the Epic of Sundiata, a celebrated oral tradition that recounts the life and exploits of Sundiata Keita. This epic, which has been passed down through generations of griots (West African storytellers), is considered a significant cultural and literary work in West Africa.
As the Mali Empire expanded and flourished, the Keita surname became more widespread, particularly among the nobility and ruling classes. During this period, the name was often associated with military prowess, leadership, and political power.
Another notable figure with the Keita surname was Mansa Musa I (c. 1280-1337), the ninth Mansa (emperor) of the Mali Empire. Mansa Musa I is renowned for his wealth, his patronage of learning and architecture, and his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, during which he reportedly distributed vast amounts of gold along the way, leaving a lasting impact on the economies of the regions he passed through.
In the 14th century, the Keita surname appeared in the Tarikh al-Fattash, a chronicle written by the Malian scholar and traveler Mahmud Kati. This work provides valuable insights into the history and culture of the Mali Empire and mentions several prominent Keita individuals.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, as the Mali Empire declined and smaller kingdoms emerged in the region, the Keita surname remained influential. Famously, the Keita family played a significant role in the Songhay Empire, which rose to prominence in the latter part of this period.
Askia Muhammad I (c. 1443-1538), the founder and first ruler of the Songhay Empire, was a member of the Keita clan. He was a renowned military leader who consolidated power across much of West Africa and is remembered for his efforts to promote Islam and education in the region.
Throughout the centuries, the Keita surname has continued to be associated with notable figures in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts. However, it is important to note that the surname's historical significance is primarily rooted in its connection to the ancient empires and dynasties of West Africa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keita
Among Census respondents with the surname Keita, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and White (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Keita 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 Keita surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.3% · 2,450
- Two or more races4.0% · 107
- White2.0% · 52
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keita
Keita 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
#18,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,517
+844 bearers (+125.4%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 13,971 places
2020
#11,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,655
+1,138 bearers (+75.0%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 6,940 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,267 | 673 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,296 | 1,517 | 0.51 | +844 bearers (+125.4%) | Up 13,971 places |
| 2020 | #11,356 | 2,655 | 0.89 | +1,138 bearers (+75.0%) | Up 6,940 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 Keita 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 | #18,296 | #11,356 | 37.9% |
| Count | 1,517 | 2,655 | 75.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.89 | 74.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keita bearers went from 1,517 to 2,655 (+75.0% change). The surname moved up 6,940 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,296 to #11,356.
FAQ
Keita surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keita?
Name Census estimates that about 3,045 living Americans carry the surname Keita. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,563 residents.
How common is Keita?
Keita ranks #11,356 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,655 people with the surname Keita. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,045), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Keita.
Has Keita become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keita went from 1,517 recorded bearers to 2,655. That is an increase of 1,138 (+75.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,296 to #11,356.
What does the Census say about the background of Keita?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keita, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and White (2.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Keita in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,450 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keita appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%), White (2.0%). 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 Keita (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 Keita mean?
A surname of West African origin, possibly meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous" in various languages. 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 Keita (0.89 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 Americans have the surname Keita?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.