2000
#14,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,843
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Okeeffe
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Caoimh, meaning "descendant of Caomh" (a personal name meaning "gentle, kind").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,751 Americans carry the last name Okeeffe. That puts it at #12,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Okeeffe 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 Okeeffe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 124,593
Census rank
#12,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,399 bearers of the surname Okeeffe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Okeeffe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Okeeffe
The surname OKEEFFE is of Irish origin, with its roots dating back to the ancient Gaelic Ó Caoimh clan in County Cork, Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "caomh," meaning "gentle" or "kind," and "ó," signifying "descendant of."
The OKEEFFE name can be traced back to the 11th century, when it was first recorded in the Annals of Innisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The name was prominent among the ruling families of the Uí Ímhair and Uí Laoghaire dynasties in the region of West Munster.
One of the earliest known references to the OKEEFFE surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a taxation record from 1285, where the name appears as "O'Kyfy." Over the centuries, various spellings emerged, including O'Keyffe, O'Keefe, and the modern OKEEFFE.
In the 16th century, the OKEEFFE clan played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Ireland. One notable figure was Piers OKEEFFE, a military leader who fought alongside the Earl of Desmond in the Second Desmond Rebellion (1579-1583).
Another prominent individual was John OKEEFFE (1747-1833), an Irish playwright and satirist known for his comedies and farces. His most famous work, "The Agreeable Surprise," premiered in 1781 and enjoyed widespread popularity.
In the realm of art, Georgia OKEEFFE (1887-1986) remains one of the most celebrated American artists of the 20th century. She was a pioneering figure in the field of modern art, renowned for her distinctive paintings of natural forms and landscapes.
Another notable OKEEFFE was Patrick OKEEFFE (1827-1913), an Irish-born prelate who served as the second Bishop of Hartford, Connecticut, from 1888 to 1899. He played a crucial role in the growth and development of the Catholic Church in New England during his episcopacy.
The OKEEFFE name has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Kilcaskan Castle, an ancient fortress located in County Cork, which was once the seat of the OKEEFFE clan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Okeeffe
Among Census respondents with the surname Okeeffe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Okeeffe 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 Okeeffe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,192
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 118
- Two or more races1.8% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 33
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Okeeffe
Okeeffe 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
#14,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,043
+200 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 199 places
2020
#12,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,399
+356 bearers (+17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 2,214 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,778 | 1,843 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,579 | 2,043 | 0.69 | +200 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 199 places |
| 2020 | #12,365 | 2,399 | 0.80 | +356 bearers (+17.4%) | Up 2,214 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 Okeeffe 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 | #14,579 | #12,365 | 15.2% |
| Count | 2,043 | 2,399 | 17.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.80 | 16.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Okeeffe bearers went from 2,043 to 2,399 (+17.4% change). The surname moved up 2,214 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,579 to #12,365.
FAQ
Okeeffe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Okeeffe?
Name Census estimates that about 2,751 living Americans carry the surname Okeeffe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,593 residents.
How common is Okeeffe?
Okeeffe ranks #12,365 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,399 people with the surname Okeeffe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,751), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Okeeffe.
Has Okeeffe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Okeeffe went from 2,043 recorded bearers to 2,399. That is an increase of 356 (+17.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,579 to #12,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Okeeffe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Okeeffe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Okeeffe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,192 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Okeeffe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Okeeffe (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 Okeeffe mean?
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Caoimh, meaning "descendant of Caomh" (a personal name meaning "gentle, kind"). 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 Okeeffe (0.80 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 common is the surname Okeeffe?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Okeeffe at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.