2000
#3,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,218
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.05
Rare Last name
Keel
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a narrow valley, ravine, or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,205 Americans carry the last name Keel. That puts it at #4,275 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,236 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keel 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 Keel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,236
Census rank
#4,275
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,027 bearers of the surname Keel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4275th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keel, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keel
The surname Keel is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "ciele," which means "keel" or "ship's keel." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked as shipbuilders or sailors.
The earliest known record of the surname Keel dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. This historic document recorded the name as "Kele." Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, "Keel."
In the 14th century, the Keel surname appeared in various historical records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it was recorded as "Kelle." This version of the spelling could also be linked to the Old English word "celle," meaning "spring" or "stream," indicating that the name may have been associated with individuals living near a watercourse.
One notable individual with the surname Keel was Sir John Keel, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived in the 16th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1548 and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Another historical figure with the Keel surname was Richard Keel, an English clergyman who lived in the 17th century. He was the rector of the parish church in Oxfordshire and is mentioned in several church records from that time period.
In the 18th century, the Keel surname was associated with several notable individuals, including Thomas Keel, a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He participated in several significant naval battles and is mentioned in various naval records from that era.
Moving into the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the Keel surname was James Keel, a British author and journalist. He was born in 1827 and is best known for his travel writings and accounts of his adventures in various parts of the world.
Finally, in the early 20th century, Alfred Keel was a notable English artist and sculptor. He was born in 1892 and is known for his works depicting scenes from rural life and landscapes. His sculptures and paintings can be found in several art galleries and museums across the United Kingdom.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keel
Among Census respondents with the surname Keel, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Keel 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 Keel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.8% · 6,168
- Black or African American12.9% · 1,036
- Two or more races5.3% · 427
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 219
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 75
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keel
Keel 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
#4,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,682
+464 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 2.94
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#4,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,027
-655 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Down 185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,971 | 8,218 | 3.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,090 | 8,682 | 2.94 | +464 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #4,275 | 8,027 | 2.69 | -655 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 185 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 Keel 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 | #4,090 | #4,275 | -4.5% |
| Count | 8,682 | 8,027 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.94 | 2.69 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keel bearers went from 8,682 to 8,027 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 185 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,090 to #4,275.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Keel
FAQ
Keel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keel?
Name Census estimates that about 9,205 living Americans carry the surname Keel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,236 residents.
How common is Keel?
Keel ranks #4,275 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,027 people with the surname Keel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Keel.
Has Keel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keel went from 8,682 recorded bearers to 8,027. That is a decrease of 655 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,090 to #4,275.
What does the Census say about the background of Keel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keel, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Keel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.8% (6,168 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.8%), Black (12.9%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Keel (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 Keel mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a narrow valley, ravine, or stream. 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 Keel (2.69 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 are called Keel?
If you just want to know how many people are called Keel, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.