NameCensus.

UK surname

Keyser

A German occupational surname referring to a maker or keeper of keys, locks, or safes.

In the 1881 census there were 39 people recorded with the Keyser surname, ranking it #28,137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, up from #28,137 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Northamptonshire, Dacorum and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keyser is 124 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 207.7%.

1881 census count

39

Ranked #28,137

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

2015

124 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keyser had 39 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,137 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 87 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Keyser surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keyser surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keyser 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 39 #28,137
1891 historical 50 #30,253
1901 historical 77 #25,627
1911 historical 87 #24,147
1997 modern 85 #28,988
1998 modern 91 #28,806
1999 modern 90 #29,056
2000 modern 95 #28,441
2001 modern 98 #27,672
2002 modern 104 #27,303
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 109 #26,607
2005 modern 104 #27,369
2006 modern 97 #28,793
2007 modern 97 #29,156
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 112 #28,336
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 110 #29,028
2014 modern 122 #27,358
2015 modern 124 #26,944
2016 modern 120 #27,563

Geography

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Where Keysers 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 South Northamptonshire, Dacorum, Kensington and Chelsea, Bedford and East Hampshire. 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 South Northamptonshire 006 South Northamptonshire
2 Dacorum 002 Dacorum
3 Kensington and Chelsea 006 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Bedford 010 Bedford
5 East Hampshire 011 East Hampshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keyser

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keyser

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Keyser, 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 Keyser surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Keyser 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

European Enclaves

Within London, Keyser is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Keyser 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

Keyser falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Keyser 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Keyser

The surname Keyser is of German origin, derived from the German word "Keiser" meaning "emperor" or "caesar." The name first emerged during the medieval period, likely in the 12th or 13th century, and was originally used to identify individuals who worked for or had some association with the imperial court or the Holy Roman Empire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keyser can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the German region of Saxony, which mentions a certain "Hermannus Keiser" in a document dated 1202. This suggests that the name was already in use by the early 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name Keyser appeared in various historical records across German-speaking regions, including the Annales Colonienses, a medieval chronicle from Cologne, which mentions a "Johannes Keyser" in an entry from 1376.

The name Keyser was also associated with certain place names, such as Keyserlingk, a village in what is now Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, which was first mentioned in a document from 1350 as "Keyserlinge," likely referring to the presence of individuals bearing the Keyser surname in the area.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Keyser was Johann Keyser (c. 1520-1586), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation in Saxony.

Another notable figure was Adriaen Keysers (c. 1560-1615), a Dutch engraver and printmaker who was active in Antwerp during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 18th century, Johann Georg Keyser (1693-1740) was a German architect and builder who worked in Saxony and designed several notable buildings, including the Frauenkirche in Dresden.

The 19th century saw the rise of Nicola Keyser (1835-1909), a German industrialist and founder of the Keyser'sche Maschinenbauanstalt, a leading manufacturer of industrial machinery based in Chemnitz, Saxony.

Lastly, Rudolf Keyser (1877-1946) was a German-American lawyer and judge who served as a justice on the New York Supreme Court and played a role in the prosecution of high-profile criminal cases in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keyser families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keyser 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 26 Keysers recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.84x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 26 6.84x
Devon 3 3.79x
Hertfordshire 2 7.63x
Surrey 2 1.08x
Yorkshire 2 0.53x
Buckinghamshire 1 4.35x
Lancashire 1 0.22x
Staffordshire 1 0.78x
Sussex 1 1.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westminster St James in Middlesex leads with 9 Keysers recorded in 1881 and an index of 230.18x.

Place Total Index
Westminster St James 9 230.18x
St Luke London 7 114.75x
Paddington London 5 35.74x
Tormoham 3 89.55x
Bushey 2 322.58x
Holy Trinity 2 22.05x
Shoreditch London 2 12.13x
Camberwell 1 4.12x
Hampstead London 1 16.89x
Hastings St Leonards 1 106.38x
Horninglow 1 166.67x
Kensington London 1 4.73x
Lambeth 1 3.01x
Teddington London 1 116.28x
Toxteth Park 1 6.54x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 108.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Clara 2
Elizabeth 2
Isabella 2
Matilda 2
Caroline 1
Dore 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Eve 1
Isabel 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 3
Henry 3
James 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Assur 1
George 1
Harry 1
John 1
Leonard 1
Luke 1
Maurice 1
Rich. 1
Theodrous 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 Keyser households.

FAQ

Keyser surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keyser surname in 1881?

In 1881, 39 people were recorded with the Keyser surname. That placed it at #28,137 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keyser surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Keyser a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Keyser surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to a maker or keeper of keys, locks, or safes.

What does the Keyser map show?

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