NameCensus.

UK surname

Okeefe

An Irish surname referring to a descendant of Caoimh, derived from an Irish Gaelic word meaning "gentle" or "kind."

In the 1881 census there were 497 people recorded with the Okeefe surname, ranking it #6,805 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,179, ranked #2,138, up from #6,805 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Merthyr Tydfil and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Okeefe is 3,377 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 539.6%.

1881 census count

497

Ranked #6,805

Modern count

3,179

2016, ranked #2,138

Peak year

2010

3,377 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Okeefe had 497 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,805 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,179 in 2016, ranked #2,138.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 710 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Okeefe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Okeefe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Okeefe 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 497 #6,805
1891 historical 436 #8,262
1901 historical 710 #6,211
1911 historical 627 #6,613
1997 modern 3,062 #2,098
1998 modern 3,207 #2,090
1999 modern 3,247 #2,081
2000 modern 3,186 #2,108
2001 modern 3,098 #2,120
2002 modern 3,220 #2,088
2003 modern 3,139 #2,092
2004 modern 3,089 #2,126
2005 modern 3,050 #2,121
2006 modern 3,045 #2,134
2007 modern 3,127 #2,089
2008 modern 3,210 #2,067
2009 modern 3,245 #2,091
2010 modern 3,377 #2,064
2011 modern 3,308 #2,074
2012 modern 3,199 #2,105
2013 modern 3,248 #2,112
2014 modern 3,276 #2,108
2015 modern 3,196 #2,137
2016 modern 3,179 #2,138

Geography

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Where Okeefes are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Merthyr Tydfil, Kirklees and Rossendale. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 016 Neath Port Talbot
2 Merthyr Tydfil 008 Merthyr Tydfil
3 Merthyr Tydfil 003 Merthyr Tydfil
4 Kirklees 006 Kirklees
5 Rossendale 002 Rossendale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Okeefe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Okeefe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Okeefe, 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 Okeefe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Okeefe 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Okeefe is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Okeefe 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

Okeefe falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Okeefe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Okeefe

The surname OKEEFE is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic Ó Caoimh, meaning "descendant of Caoimh". This name has its origins in County Cork, Ireland, dating back to the 11th century.

The name Caoimh is derived from the Irish word "caomh", meaning "gentle" or "kind". It was a common personal name in medieval Ireland, particularly in the province of Munster, where County Cork is located.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name OKEEFE can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by monks in the 12th century. The annals refer to several individuals with the name Ó Caoimh, indicating its widespread use in the region.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, many Irish surnames were anglicized, leading to the spelling variation OKEEFE. This spelling became more prevalent as English rule solidified in Ireland.

Notable individuals with the surname OKEEFE include John O'Keefe (1747-1833), an Irish dramatist and playwright known for his comedies such as "The Lie of the Day" and "The Agreeable Surprise". Another prominent figure was Patrick O'Keefe (1826-1913), an Irish-American builder and contractor who constructed several landmarks in New York City, including the Cathedral of St. Patrick.

Edmond O'Keefe (1864-1940) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. In the United States, Joseph O'Keefe (1864-1937) was a professional baseball player who played for several teams in the late 19th century.

More recently, Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) was a renowned American artist known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New Mexico landscapes, and modernist works. Although her surname is spelled differently, it shares the same Irish roots as OKEEFE.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Okeefe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Okeefe 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. Lancashire leads with 82 Okeefes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.38x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 82 2.38x
Middlesex 69 2.37x
Glamorgan 30 5.93x
Surrey 19 1.34x
Essex 18 3.14x
Lanarkshire 14 1.49x
Kent 12 1.21x
Devon 7 1.16x
Midlothian 7 1.80x
Yorkshire 7 0.24x
Warwickshire 5 0.68x
Carmarthenshire 4 3.27x
Staffordshire 4 0.41x
Hampshire 3 0.50x
Isle of Man 3 5.56x
Renfrewshire 3 1.33x
Somerset 3 0.64x
Channel Islands 2 2.32x
Cumberland 2 0.80x
Royal Navy 2 5.77x
Derbyshire 1 0.22x
Gloucestershire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 24 Okeefes recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.46x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 24 11.46x
West Ham 17 13.42x
Swansea Town 14 33.73x
Merthyr Tydfil 13 26.72x
Camberwell 10 5.39x
Everton 9 8.19x
Kirkdale 9 15.51x
Shoreditch London 9 7.14x
St Pancras London 7 2.99x
Chelsea London 6 6.85x
Edinburgh Old 6 254.24x
West Derby 6 5.95x
Windle 6 30.91x
Barony 5 2.10x
Birmingham 5 2.05x
Hammersmith London 5 6.98x
Kensington London 5 3.09x
Manchester 5 3.22x
St Anne Soho London 5 30.12x
St George In East London 5 18.29x
St Giles In Fields London 5 35.06x
Llanelly 4 14.50x
Stoke Damerel 4 9.45x
Accrington 3 9.57x
Bethnal Green London 3 2.38x
Exeter St Mary Major 3 82.19x
Glasgow 3 1.80x
Maidstone 3 10.16x
Middle Greenock 3 48.78x
Onchan 3 19.29x
Over Darwen 3 10.89x
Poplar London 3 5.47x
Sellinge 3 461.54x
Sheffield 3 3.27x
St Marylebone London 3 1.93x
Toxteth Park 3 2.57x
Westminster St James 3 10.04x
Woolwich 3 8.19x
Worsley 3 14.11x
Aldershot 2 10.02x
Bradfield 2 18.02x
Cardiff St Mary 2 7.17x
Fulham London 2 4.74x
Gorton 2 6.17x
Govan 2 0.86x
Great Bolton 2 4.38x
Islington London 2 0.71x
Lambeth 2 0.79x
Lichfield St Chad 2 90.50x
Maryhill 2 10.87x
Oldham 2 1.80x
Royal Navy 2 6.75x
Salford 2 1.97x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 3.42x
Southwark St Saviour 2 13.39x
St Helier 2 7.13x
Taunton St Mary 2 23.28x
Batley 1 3.65x
Bothwell 1 3.92x
Cheltenham 1 2.27x
Colchester St Botolph 1 20.49x
Cotton 1 153.85x
Dalziel 1 9.89x
Ealing 1 3.85x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.64x
Greenwich 1 2.16x
Litherland 1 13.87x
Normanton 1 26.04x
Portsmouth 1 7.29x
Preston Quarter 1 14.27x
Putney 1 7.55x
Rickergate 1 18.87x
Roath 1 4.35x
Rotherhithe 1 2.78x
Sefton 1 263.16x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 16.69x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.95x
St Stephen Coleman Street 1 98.04x
Twerton 1 20.75x
Wolverhampton 1 1.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 42
Ellen 15
Catherine 11
Margaret 8
Julia 6
Annie 5
Bridget 5
Sarah 5
Ann 3
Anne 3
Helen 3
Jane 3
Johanna 3
Agnes 2
Cath. 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Honora 2
Maria 2
Norah 2
Selina 2
Caroline 1
Elizabeth 1
Emiline 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Henrietta 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lousia 1
Margt. 1
Minnie 1
Roseanna 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
Michael 12
James 10
William 8
Daniel 7
Patrick 7
Thomas 7
Arthur 3
Cornelius 3
Denis 3
Edward 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Maurice 3
Richard 3
Timothy 3
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
David 2
Francis 2
Lawrence 2
Luke 2
Thos. 2
Alf 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Conelius 1
Dennis 1
Hugh 1
Jeremiah 1
Martin 1
Owen 1
Robert 1
Stanley 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Okeefe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Okeefe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 497 people were recorded with the Okeefe surname. That placed it at #6,805 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Okeefe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,179 in 2016. That gives Okeefe a modern rank of #2,138.

What does the Okeefe surname mean?

An Irish surname referring to a descendant of Caoimh, derived from an Irish Gaelic word meaning "gentle" or "kind."

What does the Okeefe map show?

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