NameCensus.

UK surname

Kepa

A Basque surname meaning "the one who is restless or nervous".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Warwick and Ealing.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kepa is 114 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

2014

114 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Kepa surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kepa surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kepa 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
1997 modern 8 #37,372
1998 modern 13 #36,679
1999 modern 13 #36,693
2000 modern 13 #36,635
2001 modern 10 #36,852
2002 modern 9 #37,051
2003 modern 10 #36,964
2004 modern 16 #36,439
2005 modern 23 #35,924
2006 modern 41 #34,788
2007 modern 48 #34,488
2008 modern 62 #33,565
2009 modern 65 #33,611
2010 modern 75 #33,081
2011 modern 90 #31,564
2012 modern 106 #29,187
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 114 #28,478
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Kepas 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 Kirklees, Warwick, Ealing, Lambeth and Birmingham. 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 Kirklees 039 Kirklees
2 Warwick 013 Warwick
3 Ealing 019 Ealing
4 Lambeth 021 Lambeth
5 Birmingham 022 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kepa

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kepa

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Kepa surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Kepa household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Kepa is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kepa 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

Kepa falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kepa 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Kepa

The surname KEPA is of Spanish origin, having its roots in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 14th centuries.

KEPA is believed to have derived from the Basque word "kepa," which translates to "head" or "summit." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on a hilltop or elevated area. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive name for someone with a distinctive hairstyle or head shape.

Early records of the name can be found in various Basque manuscripts and documents from the 13th century onward. One notable mention is in the "Codex Calixtinus," a 12th-century manuscript that contains the earliest known records of Basque names and place names.

The first recorded bearer of the surname KEPA was Juan de Kepa, a nobleman from the town of Mundaka in Biscay, who was born around 1280. Another early bearer was Pedro Kepa, a merchant from San Sebastián who lived in the late 14th century.

Over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, including Kepe, Keppe, and Queppa. Some of these variations were influenced by the regional dialects of the Basque language and the influence of Spanish orthography.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Hernando de Kepa, a Basque navigator and explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his historic circumnavigation of the globe in 1519-1522.

During the 17th century, the name KEPA appeared in several baptismal records in the Basque provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, indicating its continued use among the local population.

One famous bearer of the KEPA surname was Juan Ignacio de Kepa (1707-1786), a Basque architect who designed several notable churches and buildings in the Basque region, including the Church of San Sebastián in Bergara.

In the 19th century, Ramón Kepa (1832-1903) was a prominent Basque writer and poet who helped promote the use of the Basque language through his literary works.

As the Basque population migrated to other parts of Spain and beyond, the surname KEPA spread to various regions, though it remains most concentrated in the Basque Country and adjacent areas of northern Spain and southwestern France.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Kepa surname: questions and answers

How common is the Kepa surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Kepa a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Kepa surname mean?

A Basque surname meaning "the one who is restless or nervous".

What does the Kepa map show?

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