The Kee surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,049 people carried this name — #3,932 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 32,600 people counted. That is down 1% from 9,173 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Kee surname

Shortened from McKee, or borrowed from Hokkien 紀／纪 (Kí) or Teochew 紀／纪 (gi2).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Kee» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 6 births for the Kee name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 6

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Kee in American newspapers,
1903.

Newspaper page from The Mirror And Farmer carrying the name Kee
The Mirror And Farmer 1903-09-24

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Kee in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2010s.

28,985 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kee. The most, 5,800, date from the 1930s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 2.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 9,924
New South Wales 8,471
Queensland 4,950
South Australia 2,667
Western Australia 2,148
Tasmania 485
ACT (Canberra) 137
Northern Territory 116

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kee.

Who carried it

People named Kee,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Kee
    John Kee 1874–1951 · politician
  • Elizabeth Kee
    Elizabeth Kee 1895–1975 · politician
  • Cor Kee
    Cor Kee 1900–1997 · composer
  • James Kee
    James Kee 1917–1989 · politician
  • Lau Sing Kee 1895–1967 · translator
  • Piet Kee 1927–2018 · composer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Kee,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States927 records

927 records of the Kee name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 348
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 254
  • Other U.S. records 325
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Millard W. Kee

    Born 1917 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1941 at Fort Bragg; farm hand. U.S. Army veteran of World War II and the Korean War; died 1972, buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Weldon, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Joseph Kee

    Arrived at Baltimore in 1891 aboard the Slavonia from Hamburg, aged 29; laborer. From Prussia, Germany; bound for Baltimore.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Daniel Peter Kee

    Born 1948; from Collingdale, Pennsylvania. U.S. Army, pioneer; died in an accident 1967 in Bien Hoa, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 927 records for Kee in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Netherlands1,247 records

1,247 records of the Kee name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 603
  • Dutch population registers 602
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 42
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Steffe Kee

    Married in 1921 in Zaandijk; upholsterer. Died 1959 in Zaandam, aged 69.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anthonie Kee

    Married in 1917 in Zaandam; shop assistant. Died 1961 in Zaandam.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Zaanstad (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Trijntje Kee

    Married in 1825 in Twisk; farm maid. Died 1829 in Twisk, aged 23.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,247 records for Kee in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia146 records

146 records of the Kee name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 62
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 51
  • Other Australian records 33
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Kee

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Sarah Dixon, aged 30; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Joseph C. Kee

    Retired of Moonee Ponds, Victoria; died 1973.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record David Kee

    Died 1827 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 49.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 146 records for Kee in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada65 records

65 records of the Kee name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 29
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 11
  • Other Canadian records 25
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Fong Keep Kee

    Buried in 1946 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 49.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Charles Sinclair Kee

    Died 1953 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William John Kee

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 65 records for Kee in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Kee name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Do Kee

    Died 1889, aged 47; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Kee name in the United Kingdom St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Francis Kee

    Buried in 1802 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 28.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Kee.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Kee is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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