NameCensus.

UK surname

Keller

An occupational surname referring to a cellar master or one who manages a cellar or underground storage vault.

In the 1881 census there were 431 people recorded with the Keller surname, ranking it #7,555 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 925, ranked #6,172, up from #7,555 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, London parishes and Kettering. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Auchinleck and Hertsmere.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keller is 925 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 114.6%.

1881 census count

431

Ranked #7,555

Modern count

925

2016, ranked #6,172

Peak year

2016

925 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keller had 431 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,555 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 925 in 2016, ranked #6,172.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 666 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Keller surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keller surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keller 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 231 #10,572
1881 historical 431 #7,555
1891 historical 412 #8,653
1901 historical 605 #7,027
1911 historical 666 #6,318
1997 modern 811 #6,466
1998 modern 870 #6,321
1999 modern 886 #6,289
2000 modern 844 #6,500
2001 modern 830 #6,465
2002 modern 848 #6,466
2003 modern 825 #6,483
2004 modern 810 #6,606
2005 modern 793 #6,656
2006 modern 798 #6,644
2007 modern 824 #6,532
2008 modern 852 #6,410
2009 modern 868 #6,465
2010 modern 881 #6,506
2011 modern 886 #6,393
2012 modern 897 #6,261
2013 modern 920 #6,247
2014 modern 919 #6,279
2015 modern 914 #6,258
2016 modern 925 #6,172

Geography

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Where Kellers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, London parishes, Kettering and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Auchinleck, Hertsmere, Barnet and Warrington. 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 Wellingborough Northamptonshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Kettering Northamptonshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 059 County Durham
2 Auchinleck East Ayrshire
3 Hertsmere 010 Hertsmere
4 Barnet 032 Barnet
5 Warrington 019 Warrington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keller

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keller

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Keller surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Keller 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Keller is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Keller 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

Keller 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 Keller is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Keller

The surname Keller has its origins in Germany and Switzerland, where it first emerged as an occupational name for a cellar worker or wine steward. The name derives from the Middle High German word 'kellaere,' which means 'cellar master' or 'keeper of the wine cellar.' The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various German and Swiss regions.

In Germany, the name Keller can be traced back to historical records such as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, which mentions individuals with the surname Keller in the 14th century. One notable individual was Konrad Keller, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived in the late 15th century.

The Keller name was also prominent in Switzerland, particularly in the canton of Zurich, where it is believed to have originated. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Switzerland is found in the Ratsbücher (Council Books) of the city of Zurich, where a Heinrich Keller is mentioned in 1357.

During the Middle Ages, the Keller surname was often associated with the wine trade and vineyard ownership. Many individuals with this name were involved in the production and distribution of wine, reflecting the occupational origin of the surname.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Keller surname was Hans Keller, a Swiss Reformer and theologian born in 1498 in Unterwalden, Switzerland. He played a significant role in the Swiss Reformation and worked alongside Ulrich Zwingli.

Another prominent individual with the Keller surname was Gottfried Keller, a Swiss writer and poet born in 1819 in Zurich. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Swiss literature and is renowned for his literary works such as "Green Henry" and "The People of Seldwyla."

In the United States, the Keller surname gained prominence with Helen Keller, the renowned author, activist, and lecturer who was born in 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Despite being deaf and blind, Helen Keller overcame numerous challenges and became an inspiration to many through her advocacy for people with disabilities.

Other notable individuals with the Keller surname include Otto Keller, a German-American artist and sculptor born in 1906, and Albert Gallatin Keller, an American businessman and industrialist born in 1846, who played a significant role in the early development of the American steel industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keller families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keller 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 115 Kellers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.80x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 115 2.80x
Northamptonshire 63 16.31x
Lancashire 52 1.07x
Yorkshire 27 0.66x
Lanarkshire 22 1.66x
Surrey 20 1.00x
Durham 15 1.23x
Derbyshire 14 2.18x
Kent 11 0.79x
Staffordshire 11 0.79x
Essex 8 0.99x
Argyllshire 6 5.25x
Warwickshire 6 0.58x
Worcestershire 6 1.12x
Monmouthshire 5 1.68x
Cheshire 3 0.33x
Gloucestershire 3 0.37x
Hampshire 3 0.36x
Hertfordshire 3 1.06x
Lincolnshire 3 0.46x
Midlothian 3 0.55x
Norfolk 3 0.48x
Somerset 3 0.45x
Angus 2 0.53x
Sussex 2 0.29x
Ayrshire 1 0.33x
Bedfordshire 1 0.47x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.40x
Cumberland 1 0.28x
Devon 1 0.12x
Glamorgan 1 0.14x
Isle of Man 1 1.31x
Northumberland 1 0.16x
Oxfordshire 1 0.39x
Stirlingshire 1 0.66x
Westmorland 1 1.11x
Wiltshire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wellingborough in Northamptonshire leads with 31 Kellers recorded in 1881 and an index of 159.63x.

Place Total Index
Wellingborough 31 159.63x
Toxteth Park 19 11.51x
Barony 15 4.46x
Doncaster 11 37.00x
St George In East 11 39.38x
Fulham London 10 16.79x
Liverpool 10 3.38x
Kettering 9 57.62x
Lambeth 9 2.51x
Northampton Priory St 9 38.83x
St Pancras London 9 2.72x
Mile End Old Town 8 12.34x
West Ham 8 4.47x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 6.57x
Broughton In Salford 7 15.71x
Irthlingborough 7 184.70x
Kingswinford 7 13.91x
St Marylebone London 7 3.19x
Staveley 7 61.35x
Battersea 6 3.97x
Hornsey 6 11.55x
Horton In Bradford 6 9.44x
Kilcalmonell 6 231.66x
St Giles In Fields 6 42.37x
St Martin In Fields 6 24.40x
Birmingham 5 1.45x
Chatham 5 12.97x
Eckington 5 32.01x
Edmonton 5 15.11x
Govan 5 1.52x
Islington London 5 1.26x
Paddington London 5 3.31x
Bishop Auckland 4 24.41x
Clerkenwell London 4 4.13x
Gateshead 4 4.37x
Great Stanmore 4 217.39x
Holy Trinity 4 4.09x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 20.36x
Oldbury 4 15.16x
Shoreditch London 4 2.25x
Tanfield 4 27.53x
Aldenham 3 116.28x
Drypool 3 48.15x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 1.36x
Finchley 3 19.06x
Halton Holegate 3 428.57x
Kirkdale 3 3.66x
Mile End New Town 3 53.48x
Newport 3 21.19x
Newton 3 7.99x
Stockton On Tees 3 5.09x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.12x
Ealing 2 5.45x
Great Yarmouth 2 3.82x
Greenwich 2 3.06x
Hackney London 2 0.87x
Handsworth 2 5.85x
Kensington London 2 0.88x
Poplar London 2 2.58x
Shipley 2 9.47x
Southampton All Sts 2 13.85x
St Anne Soho London 2 8.53x
Stourbridge 2 14.49x
Whitechapel London 2 4.94x
Alva 1 13.85x
Chobham 1 28.33x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.29x
Christchurch 1 10.89x
Frome 1 6.33x
Hoole 1 29.15x
Kempston 1 20.70x
Llantrisant 1 5.55x
Oxford St Mary Virgin 1 222.22x
St Andrew Holborn 1 7.18x
St Quivox 1 9.62x
Tannadice 1 56.50x
Wandsworth 1 2.53x
West Drayton 1 70.42x
Withington 1 6.37x
Wolstanton 1 2.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Sarah 14
Elizabeth 11
Ellen 7
Emily 7
Maria 7
Alice 6
Annie 5
Caroline 5
Eliza 5
Emma 4
Julia 4
Margaret 4
Ada 3
Anne 3
Fanny 3
Jane 3
Louise 3
Ann 2
Barbara 2
Charlotte 2
Florence 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Hermine 2
Josephine 2
Katherine 2
Laura 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Marcella 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Anna 1
Catharine 1
Celia 1
Clara 1
Elizebeth 1
Emelie 1
Enore 1
Esther 1
Frida 1
Hadee 1
Karoline 1
Kate 1
Katharine 1
Keziah 1
Lizzie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
John 16
Charles 11
Joseph 10
Thomas 8
George 7
Henry 7
Louis 7
Frederick 6
James 6
Alfred 5
Francis 5
Edward 4
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Denis 3
Jacob 3
Matthew 3
Patrick 3
Phillip 3
Christian 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Jeremiah 2
Julius 2
Leopold 2
Robert 2
Septimus 2
Simpson 2
Alexander 1
Arther 1
Arthur 1
Carl 1
Ch.Ed. 1
Child 1
Christopher 1
Emil 1
Enoch 1
Frances 1
Frederic 1
Geo.Fredk. 1
Giles 1
Harold 1
Isaac 1
Jean 1
Johann 1
Karl 1
Mark 1
Worcester 1

FAQ

Keller surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keller surname in 1881?

In 1881, 431 people were recorded with the Keller surname. That placed it at #7,555 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keller surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 925 in 2016. That gives Keller a modern rank of #6,172.

What does the Keller surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a cellar master or one who manages a cellar or underground storage vault.

What does the Keller map show?

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