# Key (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/key/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 33,501 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,037 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 9,216 people |
| Change since 2000 | +5.1% (31,882 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Who carries it

Share of people named Key in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 69% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 25% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
| Two or more races | 2.3% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Key in the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

## People named Key

- Keegan-Michael Key, American actor and comedian
- Francis Scott Key, American lawyer and poet who wrote The Star-Spangled Banner (1779-1843)
- Kelly Key, Brazilian singer
- James Key, British engineer
- Ryan Key, American musician
- David M. Key, American judge and politician (1824-1900)
- Kathleen Key, American actress (1903-1954)
- Alexander Key, American writer (1904-1979)
- Tim Key, British actor and comedian
- Philip Key, American politician (1750-1820)
- John A. Key, American politician (1871-1954)
- Marshall Kay, American geologist (1904–1975)

## Similar surnames

Kee, Keo, Ke, Kea, Kay, Ko, Kaye, Kehoe, Kuo, Kao, Koo, Ku.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.