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

Keogh, 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 Keogh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keogh in America

Keogh is the 11965th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keogh surname appeared 2,612 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Keogh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keogh 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 Keogh

The surname Keogh has its origins in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic word 'Eochadha', meaning 'horse-servant' or 'horse-keeper'. This name was initially given as a descriptive term to someone who worked with horses or tended to them.

In the early medieval period, the name Keogh was concentrated in County Carlow and County Kilkenny, located in the southeast of Ireland. The Keoghs were part of the Gaelic nobility and played a prominent role in the area's history.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Keogh can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, the Keoghs are mentioned as belonging to the Uí Bairrche, a powerful family in Leinster.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Keogh family faced significant challenges due to the Tudor and Cromwellian conquests of Ireland. Many Keoghs were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate. Despite these hardships, the name persevered.

Notable individuals with the surname Keogh include John Keogh (1650-1726), an Irish Catholic lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Enniscorthy. Another prominent figure was John Keogh (1681-1754), a Catholic theologian and writer who published works on the history of Ireland.

In the 19th century, John Keogh (1817-1878) was a prominent Irish nationalist politician and Member of Parliament for Athlone. He played a significant role in the campaign for Irish Home Rule.

The name Keogh has also been associated with places in Ireland. For example, Keoghville, a village in County Westmeath, takes its name from the Keogh family who were once landowners in the area.

While the Keogh name has spread globally due to Irish emigration, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic families of Ireland, particularly in the southeastern counties of Carlow and Kilkenny.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keogh

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

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

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

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