NameCensus.

UK surname

Keep

A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "watchman" or "guardian."

In the 1881 census there were 1,089 people recorded with the Keep surname, ranking it #3,653 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,315, ranked #4,564, down from #3,653 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Denchworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Vale of White Horse, Nottingham and Reading.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keep is 1,581 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.8%.

1881 census count

1,089

Ranked #3,653

Modern count

1,315

2016, ranked #4,564

Peak year

1911

1,581 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keep had 1,089 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,653 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,315 in 2016, ranked #4,564.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,581 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Keep surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keep surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keep 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 713 #3,665
1861 historical 692 #3,902
1881 historical 1,089 #3,653
1891 historical 1,254 #3,442
1901 historical 1,484 #3,449
1911 historical 1,581 #3,072
1997 modern 1,407 #4,124
1998 modern 1,465 #4,135
1999 modern 1,469 #4,156
2000 modern 1,455 #4,168
2001 modern 1,413 #4,191
2002 modern 1,453 #4,177
2003 modern 1,406 #4,214
2004 modern 1,369 #4,312
2005 modern 1,337 #4,338
2006 modern 1,341 #4,343
2007 modern 1,332 #4,398
2008 modern 1,320 #4,453
2009 modern 1,353 #4,448
2010 modern 1,371 #4,483
2011 modern 1,384 #4,400
2012 modern 1,303 #4,565
2013 modern 1,356 #4,480
2014 modern 1,359 #4,503
2015 modern 1,342 #4,509
2016 modern 1,315 #4,564

Geography

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Where Keeps are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Denchworth and Cardington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Vale of White Horse, Nottingham, Reading, Hastings and Wycombe. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Denchworth Berkshire
5 Cardington Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Vale of White Horse 014 Vale of White Horse
2 Nottingham 006 Nottingham
3 Reading 005 Reading
4 Hastings 011 Hastings
5 Wycombe 024 Wycombe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keep

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keep

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Keep surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Keep household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Keep is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Keep is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Keep 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 Keep 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 Keep, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Keep

The surname KEEP is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cæpe" meaning "keeper" or "watchman." It emerged as an occupational surname during the medieval period, referring to individuals responsible for guarding castles, prisons, or other secured premises.

The name KEEP can be traced back to the 11th century in England, with early recorded instances found in the Domesday Book of 1086. This invaluable record documented landowners and their tenants in various counties across England.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "le Kepe," "le Keper," and "le Cepere" in official records and medieval manuscripts. These variations reflect the evolving spelling conventions of the time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname KEEP was Robert le Kepe, who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 12th century. Another notable bearer of the name was William le Cepere, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Yorkshire in 1212.

The name KEEP is also associated with some place names in England, such as Keepers Hill in Buckinghamshire and Keepers Lodge in Hampshire. These locations may have derived their names from individuals with the surname KEEP who lived or worked in those areas.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname KEEP. One prominent figure was Sir Henry Keep (1563-1641), an English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I. Another was John Keep (1781-1857), an English painter known for his landscape and coastal scenes.

In the literary world, Samuel P. Keep (1802-1870) was an American writer and historian who authored works on the history of Connecticut. Henry Churchill Keep (1848-1917) was a prominent American author and educator who served as the President of Yale-Tsinghua College in China.

Robert Porter Keep (1844-1904) was a renowned American naturalist and educator who made significant contributions to the study of shells and mollusks. He served as the curator of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname KEEP who have left their mark on history across various fields, showcasing the rich heritage and diverse backgrounds associated with this English occupational surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keep families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keep 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. Middlesex leads with 247 Keeps recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 247 2.32x
Berkshire 205 25.69x
Bedfordshire 117 21.25x
Surrey 101 1.95x
Kent 88 2.43x
Buckinghamshire 52 8.09x
Hampshire 43 1.97x
Warwickshire 28 1.04x
Essex 27 1.29x
Hertfordshire 25 3.41x
Northamptonshire 16 1.60x
Gloucestershire 15 0.72x
Yorkshire 15 0.14x
Cambridgeshire 12 1.78x
Oxfordshire 11 1.68x
Sussex 11 0.61x
Leicestershire 10 0.85x
Rutland 10 12.81x
Staffordshire 10 0.28x
Worcestershire 9 0.65x
Shropshire 7 0.76x
Derbyshire 5 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.28x
Wiltshire 4 0.43x
Devon 3 0.14x
Lincolnshire 3 0.18x
Norfolk 3 0.18x
Cumberland 2 0.22x
Lancashire 2 0.02x
Suffolk 2 0.15x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cardington in Bedfordshire leads with 40 Keeps recorded in 1881 and an index of 892.86x.

Place Total Index
Cardington 40 892.86x
St Pancras London 34 3.97x
Wootton 27 568.42x
Islington London 24 2.33x
Streatham 24 30.42x
Edgbaston 20 24.06x
Newbury 19 74.33x
Stratfieldsaye 18 861.24x
Great Marlow 17 97.98x
St Marylebone London 17 2.99x
Bermondsey 16 5.05x
Aylesbury 15 52.67x
Dartford 15 40.44x
East West Hagbourn 15 557.62x
Hackney London 15 2.52x
Croydon 14 4.87x
Denchworth 14 1686.75x
Kensington London 14 2.37x
St George Hanover Square 14 7.47x
Great Faringdon 13 113.34x
Hammersmith London 13 4.96x
Reading St Giles 13 16.60x
Eynsford 12 192.93x
Paddington London 12 3.07x
Swanscombe 12 73.62x
Chelsea London 11 3.43x
Clerkenwell London 11 4.38x
Kempston 11 88.00x
Newington 11 2.80x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 5.14x
Tottenham 11 6.50x
Enfield 10 14.33x
West Ham 10 2.16x
Aston Tirrold 9 796.46x
Basingstoke 9 35.90x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.95x
Carlton 9 520.23x
Leicester St Margaret 9 3.13x
Wantage 9 70.75x
East Ham 8 20.54x
Mile End Old Town London 8 3.54x
Orpington 8 72.01x
Bedford St Paul 7 18.54x
Kelshall 7 769.23x
Lambeth 7 0.76x
Wooburn 7 79.01x
Bourn 6 202.70x
Bray 6 25.59x
Buckland 6 228.14x
Comberton 6 285.71x
Cuckfield 6 33.13x
Erith 6 16.79x
Garford 6 483.87x
Hampstead London 6 3.62x
Kingsbury 6 217.39x
Leintwardine 6 135.14x
Letcombe Bassett 6 750.00x
Leyton 6 16.60x
Mortimer 6 157.07x
Oxford St Thomas 6 19.58x
Speen 6 45.94x
St Luke London 6 3.52x
Upton St Leonards 6 113.21x
Walsall Borough 6 21.54x
Wokingham 6 32.93x
Aston 5 0.68x
Beech Hill 5 490.20x
Brimpton 5 322.58x
Camberwell 5 0.74x
Clapham 5 3.76x
Crayford 5 31.57x
Derby St Werburgh 5 5.20x
Milton In Gravesend 5 9.19x
North Mimms 5 108.23x
Oakham Lordshold 5 61.20x
Shaw Cum Donnington 5 195.31x
Sonning 5 56.75x
Uppingham 5 53.71x
Woodford Cum Membris 5 233.64x
East Hagbourn 4 209.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 48
Elizabeth 43
Sarah 34
Alice 27
Annie 24
Jane 23
Emma 21
Eliza 20
Emily 19
Ellen 17
Louisa 15
Ada 13
Martha 12
Ann 11
Hannah 11
Maria 10
Caroline 9
Harriet 9
Edith 8
Harriett 8
Florence 7
Susan 7
Anne 6
Catherine 6
Kate 6
Lucy 6
Margaret 6
Rebecca 6
Rose 6
Charlotte 5
Ethel 5
Ruth 5
Amelia 4
Jessie 4
Lydia 4
Eleanor 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Jenny 3
Julia 3
Minnie 3
Rhoda 3
Sophia 3
Amy 2
Beuta 2
Elizth. 2
Ella 2
Henrietta 2
Maud 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 70
John 45
George 35
Henry 34
James 32
Charles 29
Thomas 24
Joseph 20
Alfred 18
Edward 16
Frederick 15
Arthur 14
Richard 10
Walter 10
Frank 8
Harry 7
Ernest 6
Albert 5
Amos 5
David 5
Francis 5
Herbert 4
Robert 4
Samuel 4
Benjamin 3
Daniel 3
Earnest 3
Fred 3
Chas. 2
Cornelious 2
Edmund 2
Fredrick 2
Jesse 2
Philip 2
Ralph 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Adam 1
C. 1
C.H. 1
Charlotte 1
D. 1
Edwin 1
F.Rice 1
H.C.L. 1
Henery 1
Horatio 1
Hugh 1
Israel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Keep surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keep surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,089 people were recorded with the Keep surname. That placed it at #3,653 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keep surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,315 in 2016. That gives Keep a modern rank of #4,564.

What does the Keep surname mean?

A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "watchman" or "guardian."

What does the Keep map show?

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