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

Keppel, 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 Keppel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keppel in America

Keppel is the 21811th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keppel surname appeared 1,192 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Keppel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keppel 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 Keppel

The surname Keppel has its origins in the Netherlands, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "kepp," meaning "basin" or "small pool," suggesting a possible link to a family that resided near a body of water. This name was prevalent in the region around the town of Keppel, located in the province of Gelderland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keppel can be found in the Matricula of the University of Leiden from 1575, where a student named Arnoldus Keppel is listed. Additionally, the Keppel family is mentioned in the historic records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) during the 17th century.

In the early 1700s, Arnold Joost van Keppel (1670-1718), a Dutch military officer and diplomat, gained prominence as the Earl of Albemarle and served as a close adviser to King William III of England. His son, Willem Anne van Keppel (1702-1754), became the 2nd Earl of Albemarle and achieved distinction as a British army officer during the War of the Austrian Succession.

The name Keppel also has ties to the town of Keppelen in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, which was once part of the Duchy of Brabant. In the late 16th century, records mention a Reynier van Keppelen, a nobleman from this region.

Another notable figure with the Keppel surname was Augustus Keppel (1725-1786), a British naval officer who served as the First Lord of the Admiralty and played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War. He was the son of Willem Anne van Keppel, the 2nd Earl of Albemarle.

In the realm of literature, the name Keppel is associated with Thomas Robert Keppel (1805-1879), an English writer and traveler who authored several books, including "Narrative of a Journey Across the Balcan" and "Life of Thomas Woolner, R.A., Sculptor and Poet."

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Keppel throughout history, highlighting its Dutch origins and its presence in various parts of Europe and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keppel

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

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

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

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