2000
#11,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,512
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Keo
A Cambodian surname derived from the Chinese surname 侨, meaning "sojourner" or "emigrant."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,978 Americans carry the last name Keo. That puts it at #9,038 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,162 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keo 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
4.0K
1 in 86,162
Census rank
#9,038
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,469 bearers of the surname Keo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9038th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keo
The surname "Keo" is believed to have originated in Scandinavia, specifically in Norway and Sweden, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse word "keor," which translates to "pine tree" or "fir tree." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a pine forest or worked with pine trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Keo" can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of historical narratives from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the Saga of Gisli the Outlaw, a character named Keo Bjornsson is mentioned as a prominent farmer and landowner in the region of Broadfirth, Iceland.
During the Viking Age, many Scandinavians ventured across Europe and settled in various regions, including the British Isles and parts of modern-day France and Germany. This migration contributed to the spread of the surname "Keo" beyond its Nordic origins. In England, the surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Kio" or "Chio."
One notable bearer of the name "Keo" was Keo Erlingsson, a Norwegian nobleman and military commander who lived in the 12th century. He played a significant role in the civil wars that plagued Norway during that period and was known for his bravery and tactical prowess.
In the 15th century, a German merchant and explorer named Hans Keo gained recognition for his travels to the Canary Islands and the western coast of Africa. He documented his voyages in a journal, which provided valuable insights into the trade routes and cultures of the time.
Another prominent figure with the surname "Keo" was the Swedish painter and engraver, Johan Keo (1629-1686). He is renowned for his detailed landscapes and cityscapes, many of which depicted scenes from his native Stockholm.
During the 18th century, the name "Keo" appeared in historical records associated with the Scottish Highlands. One example is Angus Keo, a renowned piper and composer who lived in the late 1700s and contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of traditional Scottish music.
Throughout history, variations of the name have included "Kio," "Chio," "Keo," and "Keau," reflecting the influence of different languages and regional dialects. Additionally, some place names, such as Keough in Ireland and Keow in Scotland, may have connections to the surname "Keo," although the precise origins remain uncertain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keo
Among Census respondents with the surname Keo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Keo 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 Keo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.1% · 3,057
- Two or more races4.4% · 151
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 103
- White2.5% · 85
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 61
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keo
Keo 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
#10,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,223
+711 bearers (+28.3%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Up 1,495 places
2020
#9,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,469
+246 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,496 | 2,512 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,001 | 3,223 | 1.09 | +711 bearers (+28.3%) | Up 1,495 places |
| 2020 | #9,038 | 3,469 | 1.16 | +246 bearers (+7.6%) | Up 963 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 Keo 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 | #10,001 | #9,038 | 9.6% |
| Count | 3,223 | 3,469 | 7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.16 | 6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keo bearers went from 3,223 to 3,469 (+7.6% change). The surname moved up 963 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,001 to #9,038.
FAQ
Keo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,978 living Americans carry the surname Keo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,162 residents.
How common is Keo?
Keo ranks #9,038 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,469 people with the surname Keo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,978), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Keo.
Has Keo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keo went from 3,223 recorded bearers to 3,469. That is an increase of 246 (+7.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,001 to #9,038.
What does the Census say about the background of Keo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Keo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (3,057 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.1%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Keo (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 Keo mean?
A Cambodian surname derived from the Chinese surname 侨, meaning "sojourner" or "emigrant." 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 Keo (1.16 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 last name Keo?
You can see how many people are called Keo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.