History of your Surname
Get access to Keck family records.Start a free trial

Keck Family History

Keck Name Meaning

English (Gloucestershire): nickname from the Middle English reflex of the Old Norse personal name Keikr (from Old West Scandinavian keikr ‘bent backwards’) or Kekkja. English (Gloucestershire): nickname possibly from keck backformed from kex used through much of southern England as the name of a range of umbelliferous plants having a hollow stalk when dried for instance cow parsley cow parsnip and hemlock as well as teasel (with parallels in Scandinavia). German: nickname from Middle High German kēc ‘lively active’ (cognate of English quick) which later changed its meaning to ‘bold forward fresh’. Americanized or Germanized form of Slovenian Kek: nickname from the same root as keka ‘small mallet or beetle’ also ‘lush tuft of hair’ or as a homonym keka ‘someone who walks in a sneaky way’.

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


Similar surnames: Beck, Heck, Peck, Deck, Kock, Weck, Rock, Reck, Eck, Kueck

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Keck family from?

You can see how Keck families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Keck family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Keck families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 46 Keck families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 49% of all the recorded Keck's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Keck families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Keck surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Keck ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Keck. 23% of Keck men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Keck women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Keck were Truck Driver and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Keck | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    23%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    11%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Stenographer
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Keck family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 50,000 census records available for the last name Keck. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Keck census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Keck

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Keck. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Keck immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Keck. For the veterans among your Keck ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Keck military records

You've only scratched the surface of Keck family history

Discover More

What is the average Keck lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Keck life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Keck in 1942 was 36, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Keck

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Keck family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Keck last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial