Keys Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Keys last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Keys last name
Meaning of the Keys last name: keys / quay. Keys is an English surname from key or quay, for a key-keeper or quay worker, or from the given name Kay. The last name is nationwide in England. London quay-ward directories already enter Keys among key-keepers, so the Keys surname stayed easy to spot in later indexes.
Arms associated with the Keys name
Coats of arms associated with the Keys surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Keys family history
This is only a glimpse of the Keys story. The full Keys history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Keys coat of arms. Get the full Keys report.
Keys name FAQ
What does the Keys name mean?
Keys / quay. Common variants include Key, Keyes.
Where does the Keys surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Keys coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Keys coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).