NameCensus.

UK surname

Keating

Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Céatfhadha, meaning "descendant of Céatfhadh," an old Irish personal name of uncertain derivation.

In the 1881 census there were 1,475 people recorded with the Keating surname, ranking it #2,831 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,753, ranked #1,429, up from #2,831 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Liverpool and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keating is 4,908 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 222.2%.

1881 census count

1,475

Ranked #2,831

Modern count

4,753

2016, ranked #1,429

Peak year

2010

4,908 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keating had 1,475 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,831 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,753 in 2016, ranked #1,429.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,954 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Keating surname distribution map

The map shows where the Keating surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Keating surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keating over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 634 #4,094
1861 historical 787 #3,503
1881 historical 1,475 #2,831
1891 historical 1,505 #2,927
1901 historical 1,909 #2,765
1911 historical 1,954 #2,539
1997 modern 4,431 #1,483
1998 modern 4,665 #1,459
1999 modern 4,672 #1,467
2000 modern 4,577 #1,486
2001 modern 4,501 #1,481
2002 modern 4,635 #1,468
2003 modern 4,501 #1,475
2004 modern 4,446 #1,495
2005 modern 4,411 #1,483
2006 modern 4,491 #1,458
2007 modern 4,598 #1,437
2008 modern 4,625 #1,432
2009 modern 4,790 #1,422
2010 modern 4,908 #1,417
2011 modern 4,809 #1,430
2012 modern 4,669 #1,440
2013 modern 4,777 #1,434
2014 modern 4,828 #1,427
2015 modern 4,775 #1,428
2016 modern 4,753 #1,429

Geography

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Where Keatings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Liverpool, Merthyr Tydfil, Stroud and Rochdale. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 048 Manchester
2 Liverpool 014 Liverpool
3 Merthyr Tydfil 008 Merthyr Tydfil
4 Stroud 007 Stroud
5 Rochdale 020 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keating

These lists show first names that appear often with the Keating surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keating

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Keating, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Keating surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Keating household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Keating is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Keating is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Keating falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Keating is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Keating, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Keating

The surname Keating is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Céadach" or "Céadtach," which means "the first born" or "the first son." This name became anglicized as Keating, Keating, and Keeting. The name is believed to have originated in counties Cork and Kerry in the southern region of Ireland.

The earliest recorded mention of the Keating surname dates back to the 11th century. One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Geoffrey Keating, an Irish priest, poet, and historian who lived from 1569 to 1644. He is famous for his comprehensive work, "Foras Feasa ar Éirinn" (The History of Ireland), which chronicled the history of Ireland from ancient times to the 17th century.

Another notable Keating was John Keating, an Irish author and poet born in 1635. He is best known for his work "The Plague at Limerick," which described the devastating effects of the plague that struck Limerick in 1650. Additionally, there was William Keating, an Irish Jesuit who lived from 1612 to 1669 and served as a missionary in Maryland, USA.

In England, the Keating surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Henry Keating, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. Another early record is that of Richard Keating, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

Moving forward in time, we find Edward Keating, an English actor and playwright born in 1758. He was known for his roles in several Shakespearean plays and for his adaptations of works by other authors. In the 19th century, there was Joseph Keating, an English physician and author born in 1824. He wrote several medical textbooks and was a pioneer in the field of pediatric medicine.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keating families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keating surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 489 Keatings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.85x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 489 2.85x
Middlesex 214 1.48x
Yorkshire 103 0.72x
Lanarkshire 91 1.95x
Surrey 81 1.15x
Kent 76 1.54x
Cheshire 45 1.41x
Glamorgan 40 1.59x
Nottinghamshire 26 1.34x
Devon 25 0.83x
Staffordshire 25 0.51x
Angus 24 1.79x
Sussex 23 0.94x
Essex 22 0.77x
Hampshire 18 0.61x
Northumberland 18 0.84x
Gloucestershire 17 0.60x
Monmouthshire 17 1.63x
Warwickshire 17 0.47x
Cumberland 10 0.80x
Durham 10 0.23x
Somerset 10 0.43x
Midlothian 9 0.47x
Wiltshire 8 0.63x
Denbighshire 7 1.28x
Morayshire 7 3.12x
Berkshire 5 0.46x
Hertfordshire 5 0.50x
Dorset 4 0.42x
Oxfordshire 4 0.45x
Royal Navy 4 2.32x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.33x
Flintshire 3 0.77x
Renfrewshire 3 0.27x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.34x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.33x
Leicestershire 2 0.12x
Worcestershire 2 0.11x
Ayrshire 1 0.09x
Buteshire 1 1.14x
Herefordshire 1 0.17x
Isle of Man 1 0.37x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.30x
Norfolk 1 0.05x
Suffolk 1 0.06x
West Lothian 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 128 Keatings recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.29x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 128 12.29x
Everton 57 10.43x
Widnes 41 33.16x
St Pancras London 26 2.24x
Glasgow 25 3.01x
Govan 24 2.08x
Manchester 24 3.11x
Toxteth Park 23 3.96x
St Marylebone London 22 2.85x
Salford 20 3.97x
Islington London 18 1.29x
Little Bolton 18 8.17x
Newington 18 3.37x
Snenton 18 23.53x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 6.24x
Woolwich 16 8.79x
Croydon 15 3.84x
Kirkdale 15 5.20x
Lambeth 15 1.19x
Barony 14 1.18x
Northowram 14 13.95x
West Derby 14 2.79x
Chelsea London 13 2.99x
Dukinfield 13 8.82x
Dundee 13 2.60x
Hopwood 13 58.01x
Leeds 13 1.61x
Oldham 13 2.35x
Lewisham 12 4.57x
Middlesbrough 12 6.44x
Shotts 12 21.46x
St Anne Soho London 12 14.55x
Aston 11 1.10x
Bowling 11 7.76x
Brighton 11 2.24x
Horton In Bradford 11 4.92x
Huddersfield 11 5.27x
Kensington London 11 1.37x
Liff Benvie 11 5.41x
St Woollos 11 9.44x
Brinnington 10 33.57x
Cardiff St John 10 12.17x
Clerkenwell London 10 2.93x
Limehouse London 10 6.31x
Milton In Gravesend 10 13.53x
West Ham 10 1.59x
Battersea 9 1.69x
Cardiff St Mary 9 6.50x
Llanwonno 9 9.96x
Arlecdon 8 24.18x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 2.14x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 5.88x
Bradford 8 9.97x
Camberwell 8 0.87x
Cambuslang 8 16.99x
Greenwich 8 3.48x
Walton On Hill 8 8.61x
Bermondsey 7 1.63x
Duffus 7 35.39x
Hindley 7 9.58x
Minster In Sheppey 7 8.57x
Newington 7 17.76x
Ormskirk 7 21.34x
Ratcliffe London 7 8.77x
Rixton With Glazebrook 7 160.55x
Tottenham 7 3.04x
Westminster St James 7 4.71x
Aldershot 6 6.05x
Bedminster 6 2.75x
Bedwellty 6 3.25x
Burntwood Edial 6 19.26x
Chester St John Baptist 6 10.47x
Edinburgh High Church 6 49.38x
Farnborough 6 19.29x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 2.48x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 2.59x
Poplar London 6 2.20x
Shoreditch London 6 0.96x
Tynemouth 6 5.21x
Wrexham Regis 6 14.80x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Keating surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Keating surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 103
James 73
William 63
Thomas 50
Richard 29
Patrick 27
Michael 24
Edward 19
Joseph 19
Henry 16
Charles 12
George 12
Peter 12
Arthur 11
Daniel 9
Thos. 9
Alfred 8
Albert 7
Andrew 7
Francis 7
Frederick 6
Nicholas 6
Frank 5
Robert 5
Wm. 5
Bernard 4
Edmund 4
Herbert 4
Hugh 4
Laurence 4
Philip 4
Walter 4
Christopher 3
Denis 3
Edwin 3
Jeremiah 3
Maurice 3
Samuel 3
Stephen 3
Cornelius 2
Frances 2
Harold 2
Harry 2
Jas. 2
Lorenzo 2
Martin 2
Mary 2
Michl. 2
Robt. 2
Vincent 2

FAQ

Keating surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keating surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,475 people were recorded with the Keating surname. That placed it at #2,831 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keating surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,753 in 2016. That gives Keating a modern rank of #1,429.

What does the Keating surname mean?

Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Céatfhadha, meaning "descendant of Céatfhadh," an old Irish personal name of uncertain derivation.

What does the Keating map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Keating bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.