NameCensus.

UK surname

Keelty

A Scottish surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from a location called Keelty.

In the 1881 census there were 55 people recorded with the Keelty surname, ranking it #25,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 107, ranked #29,762, down from #25,862 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, East Riding of Yorkshire and Woking.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keelty is 122 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 94.5%.

1881 census count

55

Ranked #25,862

Modern count

107

2016, ranked #29,762

Peak year

2000

122 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keelty had 55 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,862 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016, ranked #29,762.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 96 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Keelty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keelty surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keelty 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 20 #29,743
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 55 #25,862
1891 historical 57 #29,533
1901 historical 60 #27,502
1911 historical 96 #23,193
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 117 #25,362
2000 modern 122 #24,698
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 118 #25,358
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 111 #26,293
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 110 #27,391
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 116 #27,704
2011 modern 109 #28,653
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 118 #27,686
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 109 #29,327
2016 modern 107 #29,762

Geography

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Where Keeltys 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 County Durham, East Riding of Yorkshire and Woking. 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 County Durham 026 County Durham
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 031 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Woking 012 Woking
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 029 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 039 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keelty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keelty

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Keelty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Keelty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Keelty is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Keelty is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Keelty 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 Keelty is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Keelty

The surname Keelty has its origins in Ireland and is believed to date back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "caoile," which translates to "narrow" or "slender," possibly referring to a physical characteristic or a geographic location associated with the name's earliest bearers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keelty appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of documents from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. These records mention a John Keelty from County Westmeath in the mid-16th century.

The Keelty surname is also found in various Irish annals and historical records, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, which chronicle events in Ireland from the 12th to the 17th century. These references suggest that the name was predominantly associated with the provinces of Ulster and Connacht.

Notable individuals bearing the Keelty surname include:

1. Patrick Keelty (1832-1901), an Irish immigrant to the United States who served as a private in the Union Army during the American Civil War. 2. John Keelty (1858-1923), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1904 to 1917. 3. Margaret Keelty (1874-1951), an Irish immigrant to the United States who became a prominent labor activist and organizer in the textile industry. 4. Michael Keelty (born 1954), a former Australian Federal Police Commissioner who served from 2001 to 2009. 5. Sean Keelty (born 1975), an Irish professional golfer who has competed on various international tours.

While the Keelty surname is not among the most common in Ireland, it has maintained a presence throughout the country's history, particularly in counties like Westmeath, Mayo, and Sligo. The name has also been carried to other parts of the world through Irish immigration, leaving a lasting legacy in various communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keelty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keelty 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. Yorkshire leads with 27 Keeltys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.08x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 27 5.08x
Lancashire 10 1.57x
Warwickshire 8 5.91x
Cheshire 6 5.07x
Hampshire 3 2.73x
Derbyshire 1 1.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 10 Keeltys recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.10x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 10 59.10x
Birmingham 8 17.75x
Hyde 6 171.92x
Leeds 6 19.99x
Beverley St Mary 5 641.03x
Sculcoates 5 59.31x
Hulme 4 30.10x
Manchester 3 10.48x
Portsea 3 13.92x
Wardleworth 3 82.42x
Glossop Dale 1 25.45x
Monk Bretton 1 185.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Catherine 3
Ann 2
Bridget 2
Jane 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Briget 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Esther 1
Isabella 1
Josephine 1
Margaret 1
Sarah 1
Winefred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
James 6
Patrick 3
Thomas 3
William 2
Charles 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Pat 1
Samuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Keelty households.

FAQ

Keelty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keelty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 55 people were recorded with the Keelty surname. That placed it at #25,862 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keelty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016. That gives Keelty a modern rank of #29,762.

What does the Keelty surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from a location called Keelty.

What does the Keelty map show?

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