Explore the Family Name Keeling
The meaning of Keeling
1. English: nickname from Middle English keling, kiling (probably of Old Norse origin) ‘young codfish’, perhaps for a fishmonger or for someone with staring eyes. Alternatively, from an unrecorded Middle English personal name Kel(l)ing, which may be transferred use of the nickname keling. The name has been established in Ireland since the 17th century. It is not to be confused with Irish Keelan. 2. English: variant of Killing, a habitational name from Kelling (Norfolk) or Nunkeeling (East Yorkshire), both meaning ‘(the place of) the people of a man called Cylla’, from an Old English personal name Cylla + the Old English groupname suffix -ingas. 3. Americanized form of German Kühling, a patronymic from Colo, probably a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name meaning ‘helmet’. 4. Irish and Scottish: variant of Killen.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Keeling in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Keeling has seen a rise in its popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 4023rd most popular surname, while in 2010 it moved up slightly to the 3975th position. This change represents a 1.19% increase. The count of people with this surname also increased over the decade from 8100 to 8938, indicating a growth rate of about 10.35%. When considering the proportion per 100k population, the Keeling surname saw a minimal increase of 1.0%, moving from 3.0 to 3.03.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,023 | #3,975 | 1.19% |
| Count | 8,100 | 8,938 | 10.35% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3 | 3.03 | 1% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Keeling
The ethnicity associated with the surname Keeling also showed some changes between 2000 and 2010, as reported by the Decennial U.S. Census. The Asian/Pacific Islander group had the most significant increase, rising from 0.28% to 0.58% - a growth of 107.14%. Those identifying with two or more ethnic identities grew by 42.95%, and the Hispanic ethnicity saw a rise of 45.77%. Meanwhile, those identifying as White decreased slightly from 85.25% to 84.07%, and Black ethnicity also dropped from 10.48% to 9.90%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a modest increase from 1.01% to 1.15%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.25% | 84.07% | -1.38% |
| Black | 10.48% | 9.9% | -5.53% |
| Two or More Races | 1.56% | 2.23% | 42.95% |
| Hispanic | 1.42% | 2.07% | 45.77% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.01% | 1.15% | 13.86% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.28% | 0.58% | 107.14% |
Keeling ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Keeling is British & Irish, which comprises 60.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.0%) and Scandinavian (3.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.1% |
| French & German | 19.0% |
| Scandinavian | 3.0% |
| Other | 17.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Keeling
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Keeling have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
What Keeling haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Keeling is J-CTS5368, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-CTS5368 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include J-M267 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Coble, Drumm, Drum, Sterner, Cormier, Kahn, Kagan, Katz, Kohn, Jardine.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Keeling surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304
Your paternal lineage may be linked to men who spread the Semitic languages
Men carrying the J-M267 lineage took part in many waves of migrations over the millennia, and domesticated animals and plants weren't the only things they carried. They may also have been among the communities that spread the Semitic languages, a diverse group that bloomed from a single proto-Semitic tongue in the Levant nearly 5,750 years ago. These men likely carried branches of both haplogroup J and of the Semitic language family through the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa. Still later, some J-M267-bearing men re-expanded from the Arabian Peninsula back through the Middle East and across North Africa in migrations associated with the emergence and spread of Islam.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Keeling have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Keeling" Surname 39.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Keeling" Surname 37.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Keeling" Surname 32.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Keeling" Surname 14.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Keeling?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Keeling are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition