NameCensus.

UK surname

Keys

An English occupational surname referring to a person who was a keeper of the keys or a gatekeeper.

In the 1881 census there were 1,486 people recorded with the Keys surname, ranking it #2,813 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,043, ranked #3,160, down from #2,813 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winslow, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, Gwynedd and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keys is 2,107 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.5%.

1881 census count

1,486

Ranked #2,813

Modern count

2,043

2016, ranked #3,160

Peak year

1999

2,107 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keys had 1,486 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,813 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,043 in 2016, ranked #3,160.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,674 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Keys surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keys surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keys 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 957 #2,901
1861 historical 829 #3,326
1881 historical 1,486 #2,813
1891 historical 1,397 #3,116
1901 historical 1,674 #3,081
1911 historical 1,592 #3,054
1997 modern 1,997 #3,055
1998 modern 2,083 #3,060
1999 modern 2,107 #3,049
2000 modern 2,079 #3,075
2001 modern 2,044 #3,056
2002 modern 2,045 #3,121
2003 modern 1,997 #3,118
2004 modern 1,996 #3,120
2005 modern 1,968 #3,130
2006 modern 1,981 #3,119
2007 modern 2,005 #3,124
2008 modern 2,010 #3,138
2009 modern 2,063 #3,131
2010 modern 2,105 #3,142
2011 modern 2,052 #3,170
2012 modern 2,023 #3,166
2013 modern 2,059 #3,167
2014 modern 2,100 #3,130
2015 modern 2,043 #3,170
2016 modern 2,043 #3,160

Geography

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Where Keys' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winslow, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, Gwynedd, Aylesbury Vale, Ipswich and Rochford. 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 Winslow Buckinghamshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 003 Scarborough
2 Gwynedd 006 Gwynedd
3 Aylesbury Vale 005 Aylesbury Vale
4 Ipswich 008 Ipswich
5 Rochford 003 Rochford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keys

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keys

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Keys surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Keys household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Keys 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

Keys 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

Keys falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Keys 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Keys

The surname Keys is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "caeg," meaning "key." It was likely an occupational name given to locksmiths or keymakers during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Keys dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire, where one Roger Kaie was listed. Other early spellings include Keye, Kaye, and Kee, reflecting the various dialectal pronunciations.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, with a reference to William Kaye. This document, compiled in 1273, recorded landowners and their holdings, suggesting that the Keys family had already established some wealth and status by that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Keys, a prominent figure in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He fought for the House of Lancaster and was knighted for his valor on the battlefield.

The Keys surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Keysoe in Bedfordshire and Keysworth in Nottinghamshire. These localities likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Keys who inhabited or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Keys throughout history include:

1. Thomas Keys (c. 1500-1571), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. 2. John Keys (1594-1676), a Puritan minister and author who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century. 3. Francis Keys (1679-1761), an English organist and composer who served as the Master of the Children at Westminster Abbey. 4. Sir Benjamin Keys (1756-1835), a British naval officer who distinguished himself in various battles during the Napoleonic Wars. 5. Alicia Keys (born 1981), an American singer-songwriter and record producer who has won numerous awards, including 15 Grammy Awards.

While the surname Keys has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, with bearers found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keys families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keys 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 260 Keys' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.79x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 260 1.79x
Essex 184 6.41x
Kent 137 2.76x
Surrey 132 1.86x
Lanarkshire 63 1.34x
Buckinghamshire 62 7.06x
Nottinghamshire 54 2.76x
Devon 52 1.72x
Gloucestershire 47 1.65x
Yorkshire 43 0.30x
Lancashire 42 0.24x
Derbyshire 41 1.80x
Staffordshire 38 0.77x
Sussex 32 1.31x
Hertfordshire 31 3.09x
Oxfordshire 30 3.34x
Hampshire 28 0.94x
Durham 25 0.58x
Warwickshire 21 0.57x
Monmouthshire 17 1.62x
Worcestershire 16 0.84x
Renfrewshire 15 1.33x
Suffolk 15 0.85x
Glamorgan 14 0.55x
Bedfordshire 9 1.20x
Lincolnshire 9 0.39x
Isle of Man 8 2.96x
Northamptonshire 7 0.51x
Perthshire 7 1.07x
East Lothian 6 3.12x
Leicestershire 6 0.37x
Wiltshire 6 0.47x
Berkshire 5 0.46x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.30x
Angus 4 0.30x
Northumberland 4 0.19x
Herefordshire 3 0.50x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.22x
Cheshire 2 0.06x
Norfolk 2 0.09x
Royal Navy 2 1.15x
Somerset 2 0.09x
Anglesey 1 0.39x
Channel Islands 1 0.23x
Midlothian 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 44 Keys' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.76x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 44 3.76x
Nottingham St Mary 34 6.71x
Islington London 29 2.06x
Camberwell 28 3.02x
West Ham 27 4.26x
Lambeth 24 1.89x
St Marylebone London 24 3.09x
Mile End Old Town London 21 6.79x
Glasgow 20 2.40x
Portsea 20 3.43x
Winslow 18 217.65x
Birmingham 17 1.39x
South Shoebury 15 130.21x
Charlton Next Woolwich 14 27.07x
Derby St Werburgh 14 10.66x
Great Horwood 13 367.23x
Exeter St Sidwell 12 17.32x
Greenwich 12 5.19x
Halstead 12 35.85x
Chatham 11 8.06x
Kings Norton 11 6.46x
Paddington London 11 2.06x
Stone In Dartford 11 86.48x
Tooting Graveney 11 55.81x
West Bromwich 11 3.92x
Derby St Peter 10 13.80x
East Ham 10 18.78x
Finchley 10 17.95x
Plymouth St Andrew 10 4.29x
Shoreditch London 10 1.59x
St George Hanover Square 10 3.90x
Steeple Aston 10 294.99x
Walsall Foreign 10 3.95x
Battersea 9 1.68x
Bitton Oldland 9 30.89x
Bothwell 9 7.06x
Buckingham 9 50.36x
Dover St Mary Virgin 9 18.75x
Eastington 9 95.34x
Eltham 9 30.97x
Hackney London 9 1.10x
Kennington 9 243.90x
Little Ilford 9 181.45x
Milstead 9 714.29x
Radford 9 9.04x
Stoke Damerel 9 4.25x
Walthamstow 9 8.72x
Whaddon 9 445.54x
Barony 8 0.67x
Bermondsey 8 1.85x
Derby All Sts 8 42.08x
Govan 8 0.69x
Hampstead London 8 3.53x
Middle Aston 8 1702.13x
Rayleigh 8 121.03x
St Nicholas At Wade 8 275.86x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 1.54x
Chelsea London 7 1.60x
Chepstow 7 39.13x
Clapham 7 3.85x
Deptford St Nicholas 7 17.79x
Kensington London 7 0.87x
Kensworth 7 214.72x
Leighton Buzzard 7 21.63x
Monmouth 7 25.13x
New Monkland 7 5.04x
Oving 7 84.54x
Ratcliffe London 7 8.72x
Skircoat 7 12.32x
Spittlegate 7 21.77x
Warkworth 7 56.91x
Watford 7 9.01x
Wavertree 7 12.68x
Wotton St Mary 7 47.33x
Knottingley 6 23.71x
Newington 6 1.12x
Newland 6 25.04x
Old Monkland 6 3.22x
Tottenham 6 2.59x
Westminster St James 6 4.02x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 96
John 64
George 52
Charles 40
Thomas 39
James 33
Edward 26
Henry 26
Robert 21
Alfred 18
Samuel 16
Arthur 14
Harry 14
Richard 13
Frederick 12
Francis 11
Walter 9
Albert 7
Daniel 7
Ernest 6
Herbert 6
Joseph 6
Abraham 5
Edwin 5
Fred 5
Benjamin 4
Frank 4
Thos. 4
Wm. 4
David 3
Edmund 3
Elias 3
Geo. 3
Leonard 3
Michael 3
Aaron 2
Alex. 2
Clement 2
Isaac 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Sidney 2
Augustus 1
Benj. 1
Benjaman 1
Emma 1
Ernist 1
Erric 1
Hobson 1
Hubert 1

FAQ

Keys surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keys surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,486 people were recorded with the Keys surname. That placed it at #2,813 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keys surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,043 in 2016. That gives Keys a modern rank of #3,160.

What does the Keys surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who was a keeper of the keys or a gatekeeper.

What does the Keys map show?

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