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

McKeiver, 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 McKeiver surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKeiver in America

McKeiver is the 83834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKeiver surname appeared 224 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 McKeiver.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKeiver 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 McKeiver

The surname McKeiver is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Giobhair," which means "the son of the archer" or "bowman." The prefix "Mac" is a patronymic term meaning "son of," indicating that the name originally referred to the occupation of an ancestor.

The McKeiver name can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire, where it was first recorded in the 16th century. The earliest known spelling variations include McKever, McKevar, and McKeaver, reflecting the phonetic nature of the name's evolution.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McKeiver surname appears in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland in 1564, which mentions a "Duncan McKever." This suggests that the name was well-established in Scotland by the mid-16th century.

In the 17th century, the name McKeiver is mentioned in the records of the Scottish Parliament, indicating that members of the family held positions of importance during that period. One notable figure was James McKeiver, who was a member of the Scottish Parliament in 1649.

The McKeiver surname is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Sir John McKeiver (1795-1872), a Scottish politician and lawyer who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1853 to 1858.

Another prominent individual was Robert McKeiver (1820-1887), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor. He played a significant role in the exploration and mapping of the Australian outback during the 19th century.

In the literary world, William McKeiver (1857-1919) was a Scottish poet and journalist who published several volumes of poetry, including "Songs of the Heather" and "Voices from the Hills."

The McKeiver name is also associated with the Scottish clan system. While not a prominent clan in its own right, the McKeivers were considered a sept (branch) of the powerful Clan Campbell, one of the largest and most influential clans in the Scottish Highlands.

Throughout its history, the McKeiver surname has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish roots and the traditions of the Highland clans, reflecting the importance of ancestry and lineage in Scottish culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKeiver

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

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

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

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