NameCensus.

UK surname

Keillor

An occupational surname derived from the Old French word "cueillor" meaning a collector or gatherer.

In the 1881 census there were 213 people recorded with the Keillor surname, ranking it #12,328 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 220, ranked #18,376, down from #12,328 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Inverkeilor and Mains and Strathmartine. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carnoustie West, Arbroath Keptie and Douglas West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keillor is 255 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.3%.

1881 census count

213

Ranked #12,328

Modern count

220

2016, ranked #18,376

Peak year

1901

255 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keillor had 213 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,328 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016, ranked #18,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 255 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Keillor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keillor surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Keillor 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 106 #16,512
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 213 #12,328
1891 historical 222 #13,854
1901 historical 255 #12,965
1911 historical 30 #30,073
1997 modern 162 #20,107
1998 modern 174 #19,729
1999 modern 184 #19,178
2000 modern 202 #18,094
2001 modern 186 #18,773
2002 modern 197 #18,474
2003 modern 203 #17,967
2004 modern 204 #17,992
2005 modern 212 #17,473
2006 modern 210 #17,718
2007 modern 210 #17,904
2008 modern 217 #17,693
2009 modern 224 #17,685
2010 modern 238 #17,323
2011 modern 229 #17,633
2012 modern 223 #17,852
2013 modern 223 #18,135
2014 modern 228 #17,977
2015 modern 221 #18,289
2016 modern 220 #18,376

Geography

Back to top

Where Keillors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Inverkeilor, Mains and Strathmartine, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Perth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carnoustie West, Arbroath Keptie, Douglas West, Banchory-Devenick and Findon and Monikie. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 Inverkeilor Forfar
3 Mains and Strathmartine Forfar
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Perth Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carnoustie West Angus
2 Arbroath Keptie Angus
3 Douglas West Dundee City
4 Banchory-Devenick and Findon Aberdeenshire
5 Monikie Angus

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Keillor

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Keillor

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Keillor 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

Keillor 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

Keillor falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Keillor

The surname Keillor is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic word "cil," meaning "church" or "chapel," and is thought to have been an occupational name for someone who lived or worked near a church or chapel.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keillor can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that lists Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the name was in use by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the surname Keillor appears in various Scottish records, such as the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland. One notable individual was John Keillor, who was listed as a burgess (citizen) of Dundee in 1552.

By the 17th century, the name had spread across Scotland, with Keillors recorded in various parishes and counties. In the Scottish Parish Records of 1635, there is mention of a William Keillor in the parish of Kilrenny, Fife.

During the 18th century, the surname Keillor was found in various parts of Scotland, including Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. One notable figure was Alexander Keillor (1770-1846), a Scottish minister and author who served as the minister of the parish of Dunlop in Ayrshire.

In the 19th century, the name Keillor continued to be associated with Scotland, though some individuals bearing the surname had begun to migrate to other parts of the world, including North America. One notable individual from this period was John Keillor (1810-1887), a Scottish-born farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada.

Other notable individuals with the surname Keillor include Garrison Keillor (born 1942), an American author, storyteller, and radio personality best known for his radio show "A Prairie Home Companion"; and Angus Keillor (1902-1986), a Scottish footballer who played for several clubs, including Dundee United and East Fife.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Keillor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keillor 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. Angus leads with 143 Keillors recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.00x.

County Total Index
Angus 143 75.00x
Perthshire 35 37.89x
Lanarkshire 7 1.05x
Midlothian 7 2.54x
Nairnshire 6 95.54x
Kinross-shire 3 57.69x
Yorkshire 3 0.15x
Kincardineshire 2 7.98x
Middlesex 2 0.10x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.52x
Fife 1 0.82x
Orkney 1 4.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 36 Keillors recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.58x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 36 50.58x
Inverkeillor 16 1355.93x
Kirkden 14 1176.47x
Longforgan 13 992.37x
Liff Benvie 10 34.55x
Mains 9 555.56x
Oathlaw 8 2580.65x
Monifieth 7 103.86x
Perth East Church 7 80.37x
Govan 6 3.64x
Montrose 6 51.90x
Nairn 6 157.48x
Panbride 6 606.06x
St Vigeans 6 58.31x
Abroath St Vigeans 5 641.03x
Arbirlot 5 862.07x
Auchtergaven 5 322.58x
Barry 5 218.34x
Dunnichen 4 396.04x
Kinross 3 168.54x
Lochee 3 176.47x
Muthill 3 247.93x
Blairgowrie 2 54.79x
Corstorphine 2 131.58x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 1.80x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 34.97x
Forfar 2 19.38x
Hook 2 44.54x
Marykirk 2 194.17x
Perth Middle Church 2 57.64x
Whitechapel London 2 9.86x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.80x
Arbroath 1 15.82x
Barony 1 0.59x
Blackford 1 88.50x
Collace 1 344.83x
Goole 1 29.24x
North Leith 1 7.84x
Perth West Church 1 22.83x
Scoonie 1 37.88x
Stromness 1 58.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Betsy 1
Catherine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 2
John 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 Keillor households.

FAQ

Keillor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keillor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 213 people were recorded with the Keillor surname. That placed it at #12,328 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keillor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016. That gives Keillor a modern rank of #18,376.

What does the Keillor surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Old French word "cueillor" meaning a collector or gatherer.

What does the Keillor map show?

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