2000
#2,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,020
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.94
Uncommon Last name
Keyes
Derived from a nickname for a person who had custody of the keys to a castle or building.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,310 Americans carry the last name Keyes. That puts it at #2,222 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,720 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keyes 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 Keyes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 18,720
Census rank
#2,222
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,967 bearers of the surname Keyes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2222nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keyes
The surname Keyes originated in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "cles" meaning keys, reflecting an occupational name for a keeper of keys or a gatekeeper. The name Keyes is also closely related to the French surname Clé.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a William Kaies. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also reference a John le Kays in Oxfordshire. These early spellings, including Kays, Keys, and Keyes, reflect the name's evolution over time.
The Keyes surname is believed to have originated in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Norfolk. Some of the earliest records indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in Norfolk, where it may have been associated with specific locations or estates.
In the 14th century, the Keyes surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk, indicating its spread across different regions of England. The Subsidy Rolls also mention a John Keyes in 1327 and a William Keyes in 1381.
Notable individuals bearing the Keyes surname throughout history include:
1. Sir John Keyes (1566-1647), an English merchant and naval administrator who served as the Lieutenant of the Tower of London.
2. Gwendolen Keyes Ayers (1865-1949), an American writer and novelist known for her works on New England life.
3. Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes (1872-1945), a British admiral who played a significant role in the Gallipoli Campaign during World War I.
4. Sir Geoffrey Keyes (1888-1967), a British diplomat and writer who served as the Ambassador to Argentina and Portugal.
5. Evelyn Keyes (1916-2008), an American actress known for her roles in films such as "The Jolson Story" and "Here Comes Mr. Jordan."
While the Keyes surname has origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keyes
Among Census respondents with the surname Keyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Keyes 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 Keyes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.9% · 10,046
- Black or African American24.1% · 3,856
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 1,127
- Two or more races4.3% · 689
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 131
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 118
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keyes
Keyes 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
#1,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,252
+2,232 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 6.19
Rank movement Up 100 places
2020
#2,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,967
-2,285 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 5.34
Rank movement Down 243 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,079 | 16,020 | 5.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,979 | 18,252 | 6.19 | +2,232 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 100 places |
| 2020 | #2,222 | 15,967 | 5.34 | -2,285 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 243 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 Keyes 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 | #1,979 | #2,222 | -12.3% |
| Count | 18,252 | 15,967 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.19 | 5.34 | -13.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keyes bearers went from 18,252 to 15,967 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 243 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,979 to #2,222.
FAQ
Keyes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keyes?
Name Census estimates that about 18,310 living Americans carry the surname Keyes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,720 residents.
How common is Keyes?
Keyes ranks #2,222 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,967 people with the surname Keyes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,310), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Keyes.
Has Keyes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keyes went from 18,252 recorded bearers to 15,967. That is a decrease of 2,285 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,979 to #2,222.
What does the Census say about the background of Keyes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Keyes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.9% (10,046 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keyes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.9%), Black (24.1%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Keyes (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 Keyes mean?
Derived from a nickname for a person who had custody of the keys to a castle or building. 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 Keyes (5.34 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 Keyes?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Keyes, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.