Home › Baby Names Directory › Keller

Keller

♂ Boy

Pronounced KEL-er /ˈkɛl.ɚ/Medium

Meaning: from a German occupational surname meaning "cellar keeper, steward"Medium

In 30 seconds: Keller comes from a German occupational surname meaning cellar keeper or steward. It is a work-name turned given name.

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumGerman, American

Meaningfrom a German occupational surname meaning "cellar keeper, steward"

U.S. rank (2025)#2000 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births76 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2012

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,699

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Keller began as a German occupational surname for a cellar keeper or steward, the person who managed a household's stores. It moved into use as a first name in the way many sturdy surnames have. The meaning grounds it in everyday medieval craft and responsibility.

The crisp double-l and -er ending give Keller a clean, modern surname-name sound. It fits the trend of German trade-names used as first names.

Did you know? Keller likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.

Overall data confidence 70%

Behind the Name - Keller — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

—

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

★Keller Williams (1970-)
American singer-songwriter and live-looping guitarist

If you like Keller…

Miller— Another occupational surname name used as a first name like Keller.

Walker— Shares the -er occupational surname pattern that gives Keller its sound.

Carter— Also a trade surname turned given name in the same style as Keller.

Decker— shares Keller's German roots

Luther— shares the -er ending

Explore names like Keller

By themeamerican surname-style

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Keller mean?

Keller is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with American tradition.

How do you pronounce Keller?

It's commonly said KEL-er /ˈkɛl.ɚ/.

Is Keller a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Keller is used as a boy name.

How popular is Keller?

In 2024, Keller ranked #1621 in the U.S. for boys, with 105 births recorded.