NameCensus.

UK surname

Kee

A Chinese surname meaning "branch" or "flag," or a variant of Scottish surnames meaning "left-handed" or "crooked."

In the 1881 census there were 45 people recorded with the Kee surname, ranking it #27,314 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 466, ranked #10,542, up from #27,314 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include York, IZ06 and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kee is 466 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 935.6%.

1881 census count

45

Ranked #27,314

Modern count

466

2016, ranked #10,542

Peak year

2016

466 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kee had 45 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,314 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 466 in 2016, ranked #10,542.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 82 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Kee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kee surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kee 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 59 #22,756
1881 historical 45 #27,314
1891 historical 13 #33,099
1901 historical 82 #25,019
1997 modern 384 #11,336
1998 modern 398 #11,377
1999 modern 400 #11,439
2000 modern 364 #12,223
2001 modern 344 #12,526
2002 modern 349 #12,652
2003 modern 359 #12,189
2004 modern 360 #12,205
2005 modern 369 #11,901
2006 modern 366 #12,042
2007 modern 379 #11,854
2008 modern 387 #11,767
2009 modern 396 #11,815
2010 modern 429 #11,324
2011 modern 419 #11,422
2012 modern 413 #11,451
2013 modern 435 #11,131
2014 modern 450 #10,902
2015 modern 455 #10,734
2016 modern 466 #10,542

Geography

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Where Kees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to York, IZ06, Birmingham, Manchester and Islington. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 York 017 York
2 IZ06 West Dunbartonshire
3 Birmingham 015 Birmingham
4 Manchester 031 Manchester
5 Islington 020 Islington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kee

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kee, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Kee surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Kee household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kee is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kee 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

Kee falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kee is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kee

The surname "KEE" is believed to have originated in Scotland, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "cuith," which means "wind" or "breeze." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a windy or breezy area, or perhaps someone with a swift or breezy demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "KEE" can be found in the "Ragman Rolls" of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who were forced to swear allegiance to King Edward I of England. This document mentions a "William Kee" from the town of Stirling.

During the 16th century, the name "KEE" appeared in various spellings, such as "KEY," "KEYE," and "KEYE," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common at the time. One notable example is Sir Thomas Key (1503-1588), an English judge and politician who served as a member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the name "KEE" began to spread beyond Scotland, with some families migrating to other parts of the British Isles and even to the American colonies. One notable figure from this period is James Key (1635-1696), a Quaker minister and author who was born in England but later settled in Pennsylvania.

The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the surname "KEE," including Francis Scott Key (1779-1843), the American lawyer and author who wrote the lyrics to the national anthem of the United States, "The Star-Spangled Banner." Another prominent figure from this era was John Key (1760-1842), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a member of Parliament.

In the 19th century, the name "KEE" continued to gain prominence, with individuals such as John Kee (1819-1886), an English inventor and entrepreneur who pioneered the development of the modern bicycle. Additionally, there was Thomas Kee (1825-1897), an Irish Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on religious and historical topics.

Throughout history, the surname "KEE" has been associated with various occupations, from judges and politicians to inventors and authors, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kee 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. Lanarkshire leads with 13 Kees recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.22x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 13 5.22x
Renfrewshire 12 20.10x
Warwickshire 8 4.12x
Isle of Man 6 41.93x
Middlesex 5 0.65x
Suffolk 5 5.33x
Hampshire 4 2.53x
Kent 3 1.14x
Lancashire 3 0.33x
Cumberland 2 3.02x
Morayshire 2 16.71x
Norfolk 2 1.69x
Sussex 2 1.54x
Ayrshire 1 1.73x
Cheshire 1 0.59x
Devon 1 0.62x
Dorset 1 1.98x
Dunbartonshire 1 4.83x
Durham 1 0.44x
Essex 1 0.66x
Hertfordshire 1 1.88x
Northamptonshire 1 1.38x
Northumberland 1 0.87x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.96x
Wiltshire 1 1.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Greenock in Renfrewshire leads with 12 Kees recorded in 1881 and an index of 111.94x.

Place Total Index
West Greenock 12 111.94x
Birmingham 6 9.27x
Govan 6 9.74x
Mildenhall 5 500.00x
Andreas 4 1025.64x
New Monkland 4 54.35x
Holdenhurst 3 72.46x
Barrow In Furness 2 16.09x
East Dereham 2 133.33x
Erith 2 77.22x
German 2 256.41x
Glasgow 2 4.52x
Hutton Soil 2 2000.00x
Kinloss 2 714.29x
Withyam 2 357.14x
Barony 1 1.59x
Bengeo 1 161.29x
Birkenhead 1 7.37x
Bulwell 1 44.25x
Chelmsford 1 38.31x
Colmonell 1 172.41x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 17.24x
Fulham London 1 8.95x
Holsworthy 1 222.22x
Liverpool 1 1.80x
Marlborough St Peter St 1 285.71x
Mile End Old Town London 1 6.10x
New Kilpatrick 1 50.76x
Provost Stour 1 1000.00x
Queenborough 1 384.62x
St Luke London 1 8.09x
St Marylebone London 1 2.43x
St Pancras London 1 1.61x
Warwick St Mary 1 59.17x
Weedon Beck 1 192.31x
Westgate 1 14.08x
Whitworth 1 59.52x
Wonston 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 5
Elizabeth 2
Mary 2
Ann 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Jesse 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Phebe 1
Una 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4
John 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
David 2
Harry 2
Agnes 1
Albert 1
CHUN 1
Daniel 1
Frank 1
George 1
Harriet 1
Henry 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 45 people were recorded with the Kee surname. That placed it at #27,314 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 466 in 2016. That gives Kee a modern rank of #10,542.

What does the Kee surname mean?

A Chinese surname meaning "branch" or "flag," or a variant of Scottish surnames meaning "left-handed" or "crooked."

What does the Kee map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kee 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.