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Keefe Family History

Keefe Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of O'Keefe .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Keef, Deere, Keever, Keeley, Knee, Keel, Keele, Keeffe, Keena, Keels

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Keefe family from?

You can see how Keefe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Keefe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Keefe families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 113 Keefe families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 48% of all the recorded Keefe's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Keefe families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Keefe surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Keefe ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Keefe. 42% of Keefe men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Keefe women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Keefe were Carpenter and Journalier. .

View Census Data for Keefe | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    42%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    34%
  • Farmer
    23%
  • Operator
    23%
  • Journalier
    23%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Keefe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 123,000 census records available for the last name Keefe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Keefe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Keefe

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Keefe. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Keefe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 18,000 military records available for the last name Keefe. For the veterans among your Keefe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Keefe military records

You've only scratched the surface of Keefe family history

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What is the average Keefe lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Keefe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Keefe in 1944 was 39, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Keefe

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