2000
#1,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.36
Uncommon Last name
Keene
From the Irish surname "O'Caidhín," derived from the Gaelic word "cadhán," meaning "battle" or "warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,856 Americans carry the last name Keene. That puts it at #2,152 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,177 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keene 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 Keene with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,177
Census rank
#2,152
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,443 bearers of the surname Keene in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2152nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keene, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keene
The surname Keene has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cene," meaning "bold" or "brave." The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1176, where it appears as "Kene."
The name Keene is also closely associated with the town of Keene in Hampshire, England. It is believed that some individuals may have adopted the surname Keene after being born or residing in this town. The town's name itself is derived from the Old English word "cene," suggesting a connection between the place name and the surname.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the name "Kene" or similar spellings, indicating the early presence of the name in various parts of the country.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Keene was Robert Keene, born in 1355 in Wiltshire, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of Parliament during the reign of King Edward III.
Another notable figure was Sir Benjamin Keene (1697-1757), a British diplomat who served as the British Ambassador to Spain and Portugal. He played a significant role in negotiating the Treaty of Madrid in 1750, which helped establish a period of peace between Britain and Spain.
In the 16th century, the surname Keene appeared in the records of the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. One such individual was John Keene, a prosperous landowner and contemporary of Shakespeare, who was born around 1560.
Edmund Keene (1691-1781) was an English churchman and Bishop of Ely, known for his contributions to ecclesiastical architecture and his efforts in restoring and rebuilding churches in his diocese.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Ralph Keene (1597-1669), an English settler in colonial Virginia. He was among the early colonists who arrived in Virginia in the 1620s and played a role in the establishment of the colony.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Keene who have left their mark throughout history, illustrating the rich and varied background of this English surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keene
Among Census respondents with the surname Keene, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Keene 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 Keene surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.4% · 13,546
- Black or African American8.2% · 1,349
- Two or more races4.3% · 705
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 533
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 190
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 120
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keene
Keene 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
#2,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,711
+550 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 6.00
Rank movement Down 107 places
2020
#2,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,443
-1,268 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 5.50
Rank movement Down 120 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,925 | 17,161 | 6.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,032 | 17,711 | 6.00 | +550 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 107 places |
| 2020 | #2,152 | 16,443 | 5.50 | -1,268 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 120 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 Keene 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 | #2,032 | #2,152 | -5.9% |
| Count | 17,711 | 16,443 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 6.00 | 5.50 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keene bearers went from 17,711 to 16,443 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 120 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,032 to #2,152.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Keene
FAQ
Keene surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keene?
Name Census estimates that about 18,856 living Americans carry the surname Keene. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,177 residents.
How common is Keene?
Keene ranks #2,152 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,443 people with the surname Keene. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,856), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Keene.
Has Keene become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keene went from 17,711 recorded bearers to 16,443. That is a decrease of 1,268 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,032 to #2,152.
What does the Census say about the background of Keene?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keene, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Keene in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (13,546 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keene appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.4%), Black (8.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Keene (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 Keene mean?
From the Irish surname "O'Caidhín," derived from the Gaelic word "cadhán," meaning "battle" or "warrior." 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 Keene (5.50 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 Keene?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.