Keys History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Keys

What does the name Keys mean?

The ancestors of the Keys surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they 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 Keys family

The surname Keys 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 Keys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keys research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early Keys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keys Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Keys include Keyes, Key, Keys, Keye, Keyse and others.

Early Notables of the Keys family

More information is included under the topic Early Keys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keys Ranking

In the United States, the name Keys is the 1,333^rd most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Keys family to Ireland

Some of the Keys 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.

Keys migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Keys Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Philip Keys, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
Peter Keys, aged 17, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1741 2

Keys Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eliza Keys, aged 20, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 2
Andrew Keys, who landed in America in 1805 2
Elizabeth Keys, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 2
Samuel Keys, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 2
William Keys, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keys migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Keys Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Keys, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Alex Keys, who arrived in Quebec in 1784

Keys Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Keys, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1837

Keys migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Keys Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Keys, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. Peter Keys, (b. 1790), aged 30, Irish labourer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mr. Charles Keys, British Convict who was convicted in Lincolnshire, England for life , transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Mr. Richard Keys, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life , transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Mr. John Keys, (b. 1808), aged 23, Irish butcher who was convicted in Antrim, Northern Ireland for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 5th November 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1876 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keys 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:

Keys Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Keys, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Cuba
Charles William Keys, aged 21, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cuba" in 1840
Robert Keys, aged 17, a farmer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Nations" in 1874
Sarah Keys, aged 26, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Nations" in 1874
John Keys, aged 30, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Keys (post 1700) +

Alicia Keys (b. 1981), stage name of Alicia Augello Cook, an American singer and songwriter who has won 15 Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 9 Billboard Music Awards and 7 BET Awards
Calvin Keys (1942-2024), American jazz guitarist born in Nebraska
Robert Henry "Bobby" Keys (b. 1943), American saxophone player, known for his work with the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Who, Harry Nilsson, Delaney Bramlett, George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Joe Cocker
James Edward "Jimmy" Keys (b. 1961), American former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball
William "Billy" Amar Keys (b. 1977), American professional basketball player
James Keys, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Passaic County, 1887-89 7
J. Grant Keys, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Elyria, Ohio, 1954-56; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1956, 1964 7
Greg Keys, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1977 7
George E. Keys, American Republican politician, Member of Illinois Republican State Central Committee, 1925; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1928, 1952 7
Gabrielle Keys, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nevada, 2008 7
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Keys family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Rodger Francis Keys (1909-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Vale South, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 8

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Raymond Keys, English Leading Steward, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 9

The Keys 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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html