Variations in spelling are Keezee, Kissee, Kazee and Kozee. It is pronounced in two syllables with the accent on the second syllable, and is distinctly differents from the name, Keese, which is pronounced with one syllable to rhyme with cheese. There have been many attempts to explain the origins of the name. Almost every other national origin has been proposed. Claims that Keesee is Irish, Polish, Spanish or native American can be discounted as well.
All evidence idicates the name is of German origin.
Several researchers have pointed this out. The surname Keesee would come about when the product name was added to the single name of maker or seller when more exact identification was needed. The Keesee name probably originated in the Palatine State, one of the independent German provinces. This province was strongly protestant, and when the French overthrew the principality, more than 20,000 of its citizens were forced into exile. Frequently these Germans came to the colonies after several years spent as refugees in protestant Holland or England.