Contents [hide]

Keyes History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Keyes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England-Alt
England
Ireland

Etymology of Keyes

What does the name Keyes mean?

The ancestry of the name Keyes dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the 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) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early Keyes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keyes Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Keyes have been found, including 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.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) 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 +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Keyes, or a variant listed above:

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'
Charles William Packe Keyes (b. 1951), 3rd Baron Keyes, English peer
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Keyes family +

USS Indianapolis

Edward Hiram Keyes (1926-1965), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 6

The Keyes Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: In Domino confido
Motto Translation: I trust in the Lord.

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
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew