2000
#290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 94,300
First available Census row
Per 100,000 34.96
Common Last name
Keller
An occupational surname referring to a cellar master or one who manages a cellar or underground storage vault.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 107,985 Americans carry the last name Keller. That puts it at #329 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 31.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,174 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keller 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 Keller with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
108K
1 in 3,174
Census rank
#329
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
31.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
94K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 94,168 bearers of the surname Keller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 31.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 329th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keller, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keller
The surname Keller has its origins in Germany and Switzerland, where it first emerged as an occupational name for a cellar worker or wine steward. The name derives from the Middle High German word 'kellaere,' which means 'cellar master' or 'keeper of the wine cellar.' The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various German and Swiss regions.
In Germany, the name Keller can be traced back to historical records such as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, which mentions individuals with the surname Keller in the 14th century. One notable individual was Konrad Keller, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived in the late 15th century.
The Keller name was also prominent in Switzerland, particularly in the canton of Zurich, where it is believed to have originated. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Switzerland is found in the Ratsbücher (Council Books) of the city of Zurich, where a Heinrich Keller is mentioned in 1357.
During the Middle Ages, the Keller surname was often associated with the wine trade and vineyard ownership. Many individuals with this name were involved in the production and distribution of wine, reflecting the occupational origin of the surname.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Keller surname was Hans Keller, a Swiss Reformer and theologian born in 1498 in Unterwalden, Switzerland. He played a significant role in the Swiss Reformation and worked alongside Ulrich Zwingli.
Another prominent individual with the Keller surname was Gottfried Keller, a Swiss writer and poet born in 1819 in Zurich. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Swiss literature and is renowned for his literary works such as "Green Henry" and "The People of Seldwyla."
In the United States, the Keller surname gained prominence with Helen Keller, the renowned author, activist, and lecturer who was born in 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Despite being deaf and blind, Helen Keller overcame numerous challenges and became an inspiration to many through her advocacy for people with disabilities.
Other notable individuals with the Keller surname include Otto Keller, a German-American artist and sculptor born in 1906, and Albert Gallatin Keller, an American businessman and industrialist born in 1846, who played a significant role in the early development of the American steel industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keller
Among Census respondents with the surname Keller, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Keller 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 Keller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 83,132
- Black or African American4.0% · 3,736
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 3,163
- Two or more races3.2% · 2,996
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 742
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 399
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keller
Keller 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
#317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98,268
+3,968 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 33.31
Rank movement Down 27 places
2020
#329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 94,168
-4,100 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 31.51
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #290 | 94,300 | 34.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #317 | 98,268 | 33.31 | +3,968 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 27 places |
| 2020 | #329 | 94,168 | 31.51 | -4,100 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 12 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 Keller 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 | #317 | #329 | -3.8% |
| Count | 98,268 | 94,168 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 33.31 | 31.51 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keller bearers went from 98,268 to 94,168 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #317 to #329.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Keller
FAQ
Keller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keller?
Name Census estimates that about 107,985 living Americans carry the surname Keller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,174 residents.
How common is Keller?
Keller ranks #329 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 31.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 32 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 94,168 people with the surname Keller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (107,985), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 31.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 31.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 32 of them to have the surname Keller.
Has Keller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keller went from 98,268 recorded bearers to 94,168. That is a decrease of 4,100 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #317 to #329.
What does the Census say about the background of Keller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keller, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Keller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (83,132 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Black (4.0%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Keller (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 Keller mean?
An occupational surname referring to a cellar master or one who manages a cellar or underground storage vault. 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 Keller (31.51 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 last name Keller?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Keller on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.