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

Keys, 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 Keys surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keys in America

Keys is the 1900th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keys surname appeared 18,899 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Keys.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keys 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 Keys

The surname Keys is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "caeg," meaning "key." It was likely an occupational name given to locksmiths or keymakers during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Keys dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire, where one Roger Kaie was listed. Other early spellings include Keye, Kaye, and Kee, reflecting the various dialectal pronunciations.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, with a reference to William Kaye. This document, compiled in 1273, recorded landowners and their holdings, suggesting that the Keys family had already established some wealth and status by that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Keys, a prominent figure in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He fought for the House of Lancaster and was knighted for his valor on the battlefield.

The Keys surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Keysoe in Bedfordshire and Keysworth in Nottinghamshire. These localities likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Keys who inhabited or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Keys throughout history include:

1. Thomas Keys (c. 1500-1571), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University.
2. John Keys (1594-1676), a Puritan minister and author who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century.
3. Francis Keys (1679-1761), an English organist and composer who served as the Master of the Children at Westminster Abbey.
4. Sir Benjamin Keys (1756-1835), a British naval officer who distinguished himself in various battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
5. Alicia Keys (born 1981), an American singer-songwriter and record producer who has won numerous awards, including 15 Grammy Awards.

While the surname Keys has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, with bearers found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keys

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

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

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

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