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Keyes History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Keyes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England-Alt
England
Ireland

The surname Keyes is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066. The Keyes family lived near a dock, and may have been employed there having derived from the Old French word "kay," which became "kaye," "keye," and "keay" in Old English. These were all words for docks, or quays. The original bearers of the name undoubtedly lived near some docks, and could easily have been workers there. There is also the possibility that the name is derived from the Latin personal name Caius, a name that dates from the Roman occupation of Britain. There is a record of a Britius filius Kay in 1199, in Northants; filius means "son of." There is a third possibility; in the north of England ka was a word for jackdaw (derived from the Old Scandinavian), and was often applied as a nickname; some nicknames became surnames and this could be one of them. However, the majority of examples of this name found in England are of the local type. This makes this name a polygenetic name, which means that it arose spontaneously at different times and places and meant different things.

Early Origins of the Keyes family

The surname Keyes was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Keyes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keyes research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keyes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keyes Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Keyes, Key, Keys, Keye, Keyse and others.

Early Notables of the Keyes family

Distinguished members of the family include

Keyes of Yorkshire

Keyes Ranking

In the United States, the name Keyes is the 1,991^st most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Keyes family to Ireland

Some of the Keyes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keyes migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Keyes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Daniell Keyes, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 2
Thomas and Daniel Keyes, who settled in Virginia in 1638
Walter Keyes, who landed in Virginia in 1650 2
Solomon Keyes, who landed in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1654 2
Rich Keyes, who landed in Virginia in 1658 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keyes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Michael Keyes, who arrived in New York in 1847 2
Robert Keyes, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
S C Keyes, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
A F Keyes, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
E D Keyes, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keyes migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Keyes Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Miss. Eliza A. Keyes, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Rosalinda" departing 22nd June 1847 from Belfast, Ireland; the ship arrived on 7th August 1847 but she died on board 3
Mr. James Keyes, aged 18 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Saguenay" departing 5th June 1847 from Cork, Ireland; the ship arrived on 22nd August 1847 but he died on board 4
Mr. Joseph Keyes, aged 5 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Manchester" departing 5th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 17th July 1847 but he died on board 4
Mrs. Margaret Keyes, aged 30 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Scotland" departing 13th April 1847 from Cork, Ireland; the ship arrived on 8th June 1847 but she died on board 4
Mr. Patrick Keyes, aged 50 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Manchester" departing 5th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 17th July 1847 but he died on board 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keyes migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Keyes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Alexander Keyes, aged 19, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ocean Mail" in 1875
William Keyes, aged 17, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ocean Mail" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Keyes (post 1700) +

Marvin Leroy Keyes (1947-2021), American professional football running back and safety for five seasons in the National Football League, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
Margaret Naumann Keyes (1918-2015), American academic, professor of Home Economics at the University of Iowa
Irwin Keyes (1952-2015), American actor, best known for his recurring role as Hugo, the burly, but dim-witted bodyguard of George Jefferson on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons
Daniel Keyes (1927-2014), American author, best known for his Hugo award-winning short story and Nebula award-winning novel Flowers for Algernon (1958)
Lieutenant-General Geoffrey Keyes (1888-1967), American US High Commissioner in Austria (1947-1950) 5
Bert Keyes (d. 1987), American rhythm and blues artist
Alan Keyes (b. 1950), American diplomat, one of the representatives to the United Nations during the Ronald Reagan administration
Ken Keyes Jr. (1921-1995), American personal growth author and lecturer
Evelyn Keyes (b. 1919), American actress, was cast as Scarlet O'Hara's sister in 'Gone With the Wind'
Robert John "Bobby" Keyes (1942-2022), Australian rugby league footballer who played from 1960 to 1970
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 82)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 83)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 30) Geoffrey Keyes. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Keyes/Geoffrey/USA.html