2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Killea
A locational surname derived from the Irish placename Cill Aidhe, meaning "church of the fire" or "church of Aidhe."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Killea. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Killea 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Killea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Killea, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Killea
The surname KILLEA is of Irish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period in County Galway, Ireland. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "coillte," which translates to "woods" or "forest," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or within a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KILLEA surname can be found in the "Annals of the Four Masters," a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Donal O'Killea, who held a prominent position in Galway during the late 14th century.
The KILLEA name is also closely associated with the town of Killeenavarra, located in County Galway. This place name, which means "the quarter-land of the woods," is believed to be the ancestral homeland of the KILLEA family and likely contributed to the development of their surname.
In the 16th century, records show a Patrick KILLEA who served as a member of the Irish Parliament, representing the borough of Athenry in County Galway. This early political figure demonstrates the KILLEA family's influence and standing within their local community.
Another notable bearer of the KILLEA surname was Brian KILLEA, a prominent Irish historian and scholar who lived from 1753 to 1836. He authored several works on Irish history and antiquities, contributing significantly to the preservation of Ireland's cultural heritage.
During the 19th century, the KILLEA name gained further recognition with the achievements of John KILLEA, a successful businessman and philanthropist born in 1822. He founded the Killea Woolen Mills in Galway, which became a major employer in the region and contributed to the local economy.
Throughout history, variations and alternative spellings of the KILLEA surname have emerged, including Killey, Killeagh, and Killeeagh. These variations often reflect regional dialects and linguistic influences within different areas of Ireland.
While the KILLEA surname has its roots firmly planted in County Galway, bearers of this name have since dispersed throughout Ireland and beyond, carrying with them the legacy of their ancestral heritage and the rich history associated with this distinctive Irish surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Killea
Among Census respondents with the surname Killea, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Killea 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 Killea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Killea
Killea appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 3,268 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 Killea 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 | #154,907 | #151,639 | 2.1% |
| Count | 105 | 107 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Killea bearers went from 105 to 107 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 3,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #151,639.
FAQ
Killea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Killea?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Killea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Killea?
Killea ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Killea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Killea.
Has Killea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Killea went from 105 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Killea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Killea, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Killea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Killea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Killea (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 Killea mean?
A locational surname derived from the Irish placename Cill Aidhe, meaning "church of the fire" or "church of Aidhe." 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 Killea (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 people have the surname Killea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.