NameCensus.

UK surname

Keers

A habitational surname deriving from a place name with Keers as the core element.

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Keers surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 356, ranked #12,978, up from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Whitworth and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keers is 387 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 242.3%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

356

2016, ranked #12,978

Peak year

2010

387 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keers had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016, ranked #12,978.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Keers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keers 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 133 #19,870
1901 historical 155 #17,704
1911 historical 181 #15,911
1997 modern 372 #11,621
1998 modern 381 #11,812
1999 modern 383 #11,823
2000 modern 372 #12,020
2001 modern 369 #11,928
2002 modern 375 #12,018
2003 modern 365 #12,038
2004 modern 364 #12,110
2005 modern 354 #12,270
2006 modern 365 #12,076
2007 modern 369 #12,098
2008 modern 368 #12,238
2009 modern 384 #12,100
2010 modern 387 #12,301
2011 modern 371 #12,546
2012 modern 373 #12,344
2013 modern 368 #12,676
2014 modern 385 #12,340
2015 modern 374 #12,495
2016 modern 356 #12,978

Geography

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Where Keers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Whitworth, Gateshead, Washington and Merrington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and Hartlepool. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Whitworth Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Washington Durham
5 Merrington Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 009 County Durham
2 County Durham 006 County Durham
3 Hartlepool 003 Hartlepool
4 County Durham 008 County Durham
5 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keers

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Keers, 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 Keers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Keers 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Keers is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Keers is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Keers

The surname "Keers" is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen, during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Frisian word "kere," which means "to turn" or "to twist," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a rope-maker or a turner of wood or other materials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Keers" can be found in the Frisian manuscript "Het Oude Landrecht van Friesland" (The Old Land Law of Friesland), dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a person named "Kere Jansz," indicating that the surname was already in use at that time.

In the 16th century, the name "Keers" appeared in various records and documents from the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen. For example, in 1567, a man named "Sybren Keers" was recorded as a landowner in the village of Wirdum, near the city of Leeuwarden.

During the 17th century, the name "Keers" began to spread beyond the Netherlands, with some bearers of the name migrating to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. One notable example is Jan Keers, a Dutch settler who arrived in New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) in the mid-1600s and became one of the early landowners in the colony.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname "Keers" was Johannes Keers (1713-1787), a Dutch painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings. Another notable bearer of the name was Pieter Keers (1776-1848), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the Governor of the Dutch East Indies from 1824 to 1826.

The 19th century saw the name "Keers" spread further across Europe and the world. One example is Edmond Keers (1834-1915), a Belgian historian and archivist who made significant contributions to the study of medieval Flemish literature.

As the name "Keers" continued to evolve, various spelling variations emerged, such as "Keers," "Kiers," "Kiers," and "Kiers." These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and language differences, as well as personal preferences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keers 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. Durham leads with 72 Keers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.86x.

County Total Index
Durham 72 23.86x
Northumberland 9 5.96x
Lancashire 8 0.66x
Middlesex 7 0.69x
Kent 3 0.87x
Lanarkshire 3 0.91x
Angus 1 1.06x
Cumberland 1 1.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harton in Durham leads with 17 Keers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1428.57x.

Place Total Index
Harton 17 1428.57x
Whitworth 10 452.49x
Cramlington 8 402.01x
Holmside 8 1081.08x
Tanfield 8 222.84x
Framwellgate 7 391.06x
West Rainton 5 537.63x
Westoe 5 29.22x
Whickham 5 179.86x
Burnley 4 39.45x
Habergham Eaves 4 36.36x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 30.60x
Paddington London 4 10.72x
Bothwell 3 33.71x
Limehouse London 3 26.93x
East Murton 2 357.14x
Beckenham 1 22.12x
Boldon 1 92.59x
Elswick 1 8.31x
Minster In Sheppey 1 17.45x
Montrose 1 17.57x
Sevenoaks 1 35.59x
St Cuthbert W O 1 23.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Margaret 7
Elizabeth 5
Jane 3
Ann 2
Emily 2
Isabell 2
Rachel 2
Sarah 2
Abigail 1
Abigal 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Lily 1
Margaet 1
Margret 1
Maud 1
Nancy 1
Rebecca 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 9
Edward 5
James 5
John 5
William 5
Thomas 4
George 3
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Andrew 1
Geo. 1
Mortimer 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Will. 1
Wm. 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 Keers households.

FAQ

Keers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Keers surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016. That gives Keers a modern rank of #12,978.

What does the Keers surname mean?

A habitational surname deriving from a place name with Keers as the core element.

What does the Keers map show?

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