Kellar
A surname probably linked to an ancestral “cellarer” or wine-steward, especially in Scottish Gaelic form.
The #6,613 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 60,302 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is generally explained as a shortened or variant form of Gaelic Mac Kellar, meaning “son of the cellarer.” The core word goes back to Latin cellarius, “cellarer” or “one in charge of the cellar,” a role that could include storing food and drink. In surname use, that occupational sense likely became hereditary and the Mac- prefix was later dropped in some branches.
History
The form is most often discussed in Scottish Gaelic contexts, where it appears as a surname related to Mac Kellar / M'Kellar. Over time, shortened forms without the Mac- prefix became established as independent surnames. The spelling Kellar is also found as a variant beside similar forms such as M'Kellar and MacKellar.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
This surname ultimately points to a medieval household office: the person who managed the cellar and its stores.
From the historical record
“MAC KEEVER, for Mao Iver, q.v. MAC KELLAR (Celt. +Lat.) Son OF the Cellarer [Gael, wac, son + a borrowing from Lat. cellarius, cellarer; Lat. cella,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)