| ![Show Contents]() Keefer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of KeeferWhat does the name Keefer mean? All Irish surnames have underlying meanings that can be traced back to their fullest points when the names first appeared in a Gaelic form. The name Keefer originally appeared in Gaelic as "O Caoimh," which is derived from the word "caomh," which means "gentle." Early Origins of the Keefer familyThe surname Keefer was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times. "In ancient times the O'Keeffes were Marshals and chief military leaders of Desmond. They possessed several castles, and were styled Princes of Fermoy. The principal county for the Keeffes and O'Keefes at present is Cork." 1 Early History of the Keefer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keefer research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1640, 1655, 1670, 1691, 1703, 1740, 1747, 1778, 1791 and 1833 are included under the topic Early Keefer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Keefer Spelling VariationsOne explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname Keefer were found in the many archives researched. These included O'Keeffe, O'Keefe, Keefe, Keeffe, Keefer and many more. Early Notables of the Keefer familyConstantine O'Keeffe (born c. 1670) who was admitted to the French aristocracy in 1740 on the basis of his Irish pedigree, and his long service; and John...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keefer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Keefer Rankingthe United States, the name Keefer is the 3,781st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2
| Keefer migration to the United States | + |
Many Irish families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination at that time. Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants to North America bearing the Keefer family name:
Keefer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Jacob Keefer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1740 3
- Abraham Keefer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1761 3
- Martin Keefer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 3
- Theobald Keefer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 3
Keefer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Antonio Keefer, who landed in New York in 1834 3
- Antone Keefer, who arrived in New York in 1837 3
- George Keefer, who arrived in Maryland in 1840 3
- Nicholas Keefer, who arrived in Maryland in 1840 3
- L Keefer, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Keefer Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Mrs. John G. Keefer, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
- Agnes G. Keefer, aged 2, who landed in America, in 1907
- Agnes Keefer, aged 4, who settled in America, in 1910
- Mrs Walter Keefer, aged 34, who landed in America, in 1912
- Helene Keefer, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Stuttgart, Germany, in 1914
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Keefer migration to Canada | + |
Keefer Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Mr. Keefer George U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John West], New Brunswick, Canada c. 1784 4
- Mr. Keefer George Sr., U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 4
Keefer Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century- Charles Keefer, aged 55, who settled in Ottawa, in 1907
- Madaline Keefer, aged 23, who immigrated to Port Arthur, Canada, in 1909
- Edith Keefer, aged 23, who immigrated to Hamilton, Canada, in 1910
- Allan Keefer, aged 26, who settled in Ottawa, Canada, in 1910
- Annie Keefer, aged 45, who immigrated to Port Arthur, Canada, in 1912
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Keefer (post 1700) | + |
- Melvin James "Mel" Keefer (1926-2022), American comics artist and illustrator, best known for the comic strip Mac Divot, a lifetime Inkpot Award inductee
- Donald "Don" Keefer (b. 1916), retired American actor originally from Pennsylvania, founding member of The Actors Studio, best known for his roles on Gunsmoke
- Philip B. Keefer (1875-1949), United States Navy sailor and a recipient the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Spanish-American War
- Janice Kulyk Keefer (b. 1952), Canadian novelist and poet
- Thomas Coltrin Keefer (1821-1915), Canadian civil engineer, Chairman of the Welland Shipping Canal Company
- Francis Henry Keefer (1860-1928), Canadian lawyer and politician, Member of the Canada Parliament for Port Arthur and Kenora (1917-1921)
- Charles Keefer (1852-1932), Canada's pioneering engineer who worked extensively on Canadian Pacific Railway, Canada Central Railway and Canada Atlantic Railway projects, son of Thomas Coltrin Keefer
- George Keefer Brewer (1914-1959), better known by his stage name George Reeves, an American actor, best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television series
- Major John Keefer Mahony (1911-1990), Canadian soldier awarded the Victoria Cross during WWII 5
| Suggested Readings for the name Keefer | + |
- Genealogy of Hans Adam Kefer Family by Eugene R. Keffer.
- Matheson, Robert E., Special Report on Surnames in Ireland with Notes as to Numeric Strength, Derivation, Ethnology, and Distribution. Dublin: Alexander Thom & Co., 1894. Print
- "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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- World War 2 Awards.com - MAHONY, John. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) John Mahony. Retrieved from http://www.ww2awards.com/person/106
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