Surname Keils - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'K'
Keils: What does the surname Keils mean?
The last name Keils is derived from a Medieval German language and originates from the Old High German word ‘keil’ which means ‘wedge’. This name is thought to have emerged from an occupational name for a maker of wedges.
The earliest known ancestor of the Keils surname is recorded in the 13th century and referred to as Adelhard Keiles from Kempten in Bavaria. The name is now primarily found in Germany, but migrated to other parts of Europe in the late 17th century.
Most commonly, the Keils surname is a variant of the name Kehl or Keil. Data regarding the surname is sparse, though the Keils surname has been recorded in a variety of documents, including local Church records in Bavaria and Poll Tax rolls in the early 1700s.
The core of the name is most closely associated with the German village of Kiefering located in Bavaria, Germany, though it is sometimes used as a surname in other countries, such as Austria, the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe.
Keils is not a very common surname, but it remains in use around the world. Chances are if you encounter someone with the surname, they will have a strong connection to Germany or a region where the surname originated.
Order DNA origin analysisKeils: Where does the name Keils come from?
The surname Keils is most commonly found in Germany today, particularly in the north and east parts of the country. It is believed to have originated in the region of Pomerania, a former province located in the heart of Northern Europe, bordering Germany and Poland in the east, and the Baltic Sea in the west. It is also very common in South Africa, and is more prevalent in certain areas of the country than others. Studies have connected the name to the Germanic language and suggest that it is one of the oldest surnames in the country.
In Germany, Keils tends to be associated with more rural areas, particularly in regions of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern where it appears as a rather popular last name. Within the United States, Keils is most common in the states of Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin, where it is also widely distributed in larger cities such as Milwaukee and Chicago.
The various spellings of the name may also be found throughout Europe, including Austria, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, France, the UK, and Italy. Emigration from Germany to the various countries over the last century has made Keils a reasonably common surname internationally.
Variations of the surname Keils
The surname Keils has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Common variants include Keeles, Keele, Kiles, Kiells and Kilos. Surnames of the same origin include Kellar, Keel, Kiely, Kilburn and Keillor.
The Keils surname originated in Germany as a form of the Middle High German personal name “Keil”, meaning wedge. It was used to describe an individual who was stubborn or strong-willed. As a common occupational surname, Keils was usually applied to workers in metalworking trades, such as blacksmiths or armorers. It is also thought to be related to an Old German term for roof beam or armorer, known as "Keilhalser."
The Keils surname appears to have first developed in the Alsace region of France, and then spread to the German states. As more people moved to other countries, the spelling and phoneticization of the surname changed, resulting in numerous variants.
In the US, some Keils families are of German or French ancestry; others may have originated from the British Isles, particularly Scotland. The variants Kellar, Keel and Kiely can be traced back to Scotland.
The Kilos variant of the Keils surname is most common in Greece. It is believed to have been derived from the Spanish word “quillos”, which means small birds.
Today, Keils and its variants can be found all around the world. While in some cases the surname has retained its original form, many of the variants have been modified to fit local pronunciation and spelling conventions.
Famous people with the name Keils
- Uschi Keils, German-American sculptor.
- Anna Keils, German female tennis player.
- Ulrike Keils, German-Romanian political journalist and television presenter.
- Henning Keils, German theater and television director.
- Katharina Keils, German-American actress and model.
- Chris Keils, British media and music executive.
- Alfons Keils, German music teacher and musicologist.
- Georg Keils, German poet and author.
- Jan Keils, Dutch airline executive and television presenter.
- Eva-Maria Keils, German businesswoman and philanthropist.