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Keep Family History

Keep Name Meaning

English (southeastern): from Middle English kepe possibly in the sense ‘keep of a castle’ though this is not otherwise recorded until the late 16th century (perhaps a translation of Italian tenazza ‘that which keeps’) or in the sense ‘look-out place’ (Old English cēpe from cēpan ‘to watch look out for’). Americanized form of German Kiep or of some other similar (like-sounding) German surname.

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


Similar surnames: Kemp, Keen, Kees, Keel, Reep, Kelp, Leep, Deep, Klee, Bee

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Where is the Keep family from?

You can see how Keep families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Keep family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Keep families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 15 Keep families living in Ontario. This was about 26% of all the recorded Keep's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Keep families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Keep surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Keep ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Keep. 74% of Keep men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Keep | 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
    74%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Machinist
    8%
  • Manager
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Keep family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 42,000 census records available for the last name Keep. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Keep census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Keep

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Keep. 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 Keep immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Keep. For the veterans among your Keep ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Keep military records

You've only scratched the surface of Keep family history

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What is the average Keep lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Keep life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1966. The average life expectancy for Keep in 1944 was 29, and 63 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Keep

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