2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kethley
A surname likely derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Kethley. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kethley 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Kethley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kethley, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kethley
The surname KETHLEY originates from England, with its roots dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ceath," meaning "cattle," and "leah," meaning "meadow" or "clearing." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an individual who resided near a meadow or clearing where cattle grazed.
The earliest recorded instances of the KETHLEY surname can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners in England, there is a mention of a "William de Ketheleye" from Derbyshire. This entry indicates that the name was already in use and potentially associated with a specific location, such as a town or village.
Throughout the centuries, the KETHLEY surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Ketley, Keatley, and Keatly. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects, scribes' interpretations, and the lack of standardized spelling conventions during those times.
One notable historical figure bearing the KETHLEY surname was John Kethley (c. 1560-1635), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. His contributions to the English Renaissance music scene were significant, and some of his compositions are still performed today.
Another individual of note was Thomas Kethley (1714-1786), a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He rose through the ranks and eventually became an Admiral of the Blue, a prestigious position in the Royal Navy at the time.
In the 19th century, William Kethley (1821-1899) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Birmingham, England. He made his fortune in the manufacturing industry and was known for his generous contributions to various charitable causes, including the establishment of a hospital and a school in his hometown.
The KETHLEY surname also found its way to North America, with records indicating the presence of individuals bearing this name in the colonial era. One such individual was Jonathan Kethley (1745-1823), a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Virginia after being discharged from service.
While the KETHLEY surname may not be among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the English countryside and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including composers, military officers, businessmen, and pioneers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kethley
Among Census respondents with the surname Kethley, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kethley 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 Kethley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kethley
Kethley 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,871 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 12,871 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 289 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 Kethley 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 | #152,628 | #152,339 | 0.2% |
| Count | 107 | 106 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kethley bearers went from 107 to 106 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #152,339.
FAQ
Kethley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kethley?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Kethley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Kethley?
Kethley ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Kethley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kethley.
Has Kethley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kethley went from 107 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Kethley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kethley, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kethley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kethley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (4.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Kethley (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 Kethley mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name in England. 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 Kethley (0.04 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 Kethley?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.