NameCensus.

UK surname

Keppel

A German habitational name referring to someone from a town or village called Keppel.

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Keppel surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Quiddenham, Putney and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Milton Keynes, Cornwall and Maldon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keppel is 126 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.0%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

2010

126 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keppel had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Keppel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keppel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Keppel 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 84 #29,106
1998 modern 91 #28,806
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 105 #27,123
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 105 #27,181
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 105 #29,916
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

Back to top

Where Keppels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Quiddenham, Putney, London parishes and St Margaret Westminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Milton Keynes, Cornwall, Maldon and Thanet. 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 Quiddenham Norfolk
2 Putney London (South Districts)
3 London parishes London 1
4 St Margaret Westminster London (West Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Milton Keynes 008 Milton Keynes
2 Cornwall 062 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 064 Cornwall
4 Maldon 006 Maldon
5 Thanet 001 Thanet

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Keppel

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Keppel

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

Challenged Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Keppel 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

Keppel 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

Keppel falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Keppel is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Keppel

The surname Keppel has its origins in the Netherlands, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "kepp," meaning "basin" or "small pool," suggesting a possible link to a family that resided near a body of water. This name was prevalent in the region around the town of Keppel, located in the province of Gelderland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keppel can be found in the Matricula of the University of Leiden from 1575, where a student named Arnoldus Keppel is listed. Additionally, the Keppel family is mentioned in the historic records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) during the 17th century.

In the early 1700s, Arnold Joost van Keppel (1670-1718), a Dutch military officer and diplomat, gained prominence as the Earl of Albemarle and served as a close adviser to King William III of England. His son, Willem Anne van Keppel (1702-1754), became the 2nd Earl of Albemarle and achieved distinction as a British army officer during the War of the Austrian Succession.

The name Keppel also has ties to the town of Keppelen in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, which was once part of the Duchy of Brabant. In the late 16th century, records mention a Reynier van Keppelen, a nobleman from this region.

Another notable figure with the Keppel surname was Augustus Keppel (1725-1786), a British naval officer who served as the First Lord of the Admiralty and played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War. He was the son of Willem Anne van Keppel, the 2nd Earl of Albemarle.

In the realm of literature, the name Keppel is associated with Thomas Robert Keppel (1805-1879), an English writer and traveler who authored several books, including "Narrative of a Journey Across the Balcan" and "Life of Thomas Woolner, R.A., Sculptor and Poet."

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Keppel throughout history, highlighting its Dutch origins and its presence in various parts of Europe and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Keppel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keppel 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 25 Keppels recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 25 3.42x
Norfolk 22 19.56x
Surrey 7 1.96x
Gloucestershire 6 4.18x
Suffolk 5 5.61x
Essex 3 2.08x
Hampshire 2 1.33x
Cumberland 1 1.59x
Devon 1 0.66x
Hertfordshire 1 1.98x
Kent 1 0.40x
Lancashire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 9 Keppels recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.13x.

Place Total Index
Kensington London 9 22.13x
Hammersmith London 6 33.30x
Putney 5 150.15x
Walsham Le Willows 5 1666.67x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 4 152.09x
Great Yarmouth 4 42.92x
Gressenhall 4 1904.76x
St Pancras London 4 6.79x
East Lexham 3 6000.00x
East Walton 3 6000.00x
Harlow 3 483.87x
Christchurch 2 61.54x
Norwich St George Tombland 2 1000.00x
Old Buckenham 2 689.66x
Quidenham 2 6666.67x
Shoreditch London 2 6.31x
St Marylebone London 2 5.12x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 5.27x
Banham 1 344.83x
Battersea 1 3.71x
Bermondsey 1 4.59x
Bristol Temple 1 106.38x
Crosscanonby 1 48.08x
Margate St John Baptist 1 21.88x
Mile End Old Town London 1 6.42x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 8.53x
St Albans St Stephen 1 227.27x
Swaffham 1 109.89x
Westbury On Trym 1 20.58x
Westminster St Margaret 1 28.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 4
Mary 4
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Elizabeth 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
...ieva 1
Blanche 1
Charlotte 1
E.F. 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Georgeamy 1
Harriat 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Leopoldina 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Rita 1
Sarah 1
Sophie 1
Susan 1
Theodora 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4
George 3
Arnold 2
Derek 2
Edward 2
James 2
Martin 2
Thomas 2
A. 1
Bertram 1
Ellica 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Leopold 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Keppel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keppel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Keppel surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keppel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Keppel a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Keppel surname mean?

A German habitational name referring to someone from a town or village called Keppel.

What does the Keppel map show?

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