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

O'Keefe, 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 O'Keefe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Keefe in America

O'Keefe is the 2079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Keefe surname appeared 17,414 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 O'Keefe.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Keefe 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 O'Keefe

The surname OKEEFE is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic Ó Caoimh, meaning "descendant of Caoimh". This name has its origins in County Cork, Ireland, dating back to the 11th century.

The name Caoimh is derived from the Irish word "caomh", meaning "gentle" or "kind". It was a common personal name in medieval Ireland, particularly in the province of Munster, where County Cork is located.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name OKEEFE can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by monks in the 12th century. The annals refer to several individuals with the name Ó Caoimh, indicating its widespread use in the region.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, many Irish surnames were anglicized, leading to the spelling variation OKEEFE. This spelling became more prevalent as English rule solidified in Ireland.

Notable individuals with the surname OKEEFE include John O'Keefe (1747-1833), an Irish dramatist and playwright known for his comedies such as "The Lie of the Day" and "The Agreeable Surprise". Another prominent figure was Patrick O'Keefe (1826-1913), an Irish-American builder and contractor who constructed several landmarks in New York City, including the Cathedral of St. Patrick.

Edmond O'Keefe (1864-1940) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. In the United States, Joseph O'Keefe (1864-1937) was a professional baseball player who played for several teams in the late 19th century.

More recently, Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) was a renowned American artist known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New Mexico landscapes, and modernist works. Although her surname is spelled differently, it shares the same Irish roots as OKEEFE.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Keefe

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Keefe.

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 O'Keefe 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 O'Keefe 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 O'Keefe was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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