The O'Keefe surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 17,414 people carried this name — #2,079 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 16,900 people counted. That is up 3% from 16,829 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the O'Keefe surname

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Caoimh (“descendant of Caomh”), a personal name based on caomh (“gentle”).

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

In print

O'Keefe in American newspapers,
1903–1914.

Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name O'Keefe
The Salt Lake Herald 1903-06-14
Newspaper page from East Oregonian : E.o carrying the name O'Keefe
East Oregonian : E.o 1914-09-25
Newspaper page from The Morning Astorian carrying the name O'Keefe
The Morning Astorian 1903-03-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 88,156 pages in all carry the name.

In print

O'Keefe in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

68,072 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss O'Keefe. The most, 12,748, date from the 1930s. New South Wales 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 Tasmania, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 23,599
Victoria 18,239
Queensland 12,455
Tasmania 6,153
Western Australia 4,357
South Australia 2,542
ACT (Canberra) 529
Northern Territory 100

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

Who carried it

People named O'Keefe,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Dennis O'Keefe
    Dennis O'Keefe 1908–1968 · film actor
  • Walter O'Keefe
    Walter O'Keefe 1900–1983 · songwriter
  • Johnny O'Keefe 1935–1978 · rock musician
  • David O'Keefe 1824–1901 · sailor

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0.

In the public record

People named O'Keefe,
in the records of 7 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 States5,522 records

5,522 records of the O'Keefe name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 2,659
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 968
  • Other U.S. records 1,895
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Martin A. O'Keefe

    Born 1916 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island; painter from Queens County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1971, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    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 Annie O'Keefe

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Berlin from Liverpool, aged 21; servant. From Kerry, Ireland; bound for New York.

    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 Roy Tulane O'Keefe

    Born 1946; from Chevy Chase, Maryland. U.S. Army, medical specialist; killed in action 1968 in Kontum, South Vietnam.

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

Showing 3 of 5,522 records for O'Keefe in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (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).

Australia2,045 records

2,045 records of the O'Keefe name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 893
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 451
  • Other Australian records 701
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Richard O'Keefe

    Died 1922 in Mental Hospital, New¿norfolk, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1922.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Cathr O'Keefe

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Derry Castle, aged 20; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John O'Keefe

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Waterloo, arriving 1836; ticket of leave 1841.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 2,045 records for O'Keefe in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada134 records

134 records of the O'Keefe name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 90
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 14
  • Other Canadian records 30
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Antony O'Keefe

    Buried in 1983 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 42.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Joyce Bertha O'Keefe

    Died 1975, aged 52; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Patrick O'Keefe

    Died 1973 in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, aged 56.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 134 records for O'Keefe in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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).

New Zealand30 records

30 records of the O'Keefe name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 25
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eva Isabel O'Keefe

    Died 1935, aged 38; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Nial O'Keefe

    Died 1993, aged 76; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edmond O'Keefe

    Buried in 1900 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 52.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 30 records for O'Keefe in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom10 records

10 records of the O'Keefe name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. O'Keefe

    Lance Corporal, East Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. O'Keefe

    Gunner, Bedfordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record P. O'Keefe

    Irish Guards. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 10 records for O'Keefe in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France3 records

3 records of the O'Keefe name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Robert O'Keefe

    Born 1920 in Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine); died 1996 in Grasse (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Charlotte Senioretta O'Keefe

    Born 1910 in the United States; died 1993 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for O'Keefe in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the O'Keefe name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Piëre Tonny Henry O'Keefe

    Died 1964 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 39; "nachtwaker".

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Julie o' Keefe

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1882 in Gibraltar.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to O'Keefe.

When the index is not enough

This page says where O'Keefe is.
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