Keith

Boy name

Keith has been given to 440,123 babies in the U.S. since 1888. It peaked in 1957 and currently ranks #801 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /kiːθ/

API * As a Scottish surname, from the placename in Moray, Scotland, from Scottish Gaelic Cèith, meaning "wood" or "from the battleground," which is probably borrowed from Pictish *ᚉᚓᚈ (cēt) meaning "wood", or a forest, from Proto-Brythonic *koɨd. * As a German surname, from Middle High German kit (“sprout, offspring”) (compare kint).

Origin: surnames

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

440,123

Peak year

1957 (12,483 babies)

Rank in 2025

#801 for boys

First recorded

1888

10-year trend

▼ -57%

Gender split

1% girls / 99% boys

Famous people named Keith

Rupert Murdoch

American businessman

Keith Richards

British musician, guitarist of the Rolling Stones

Liam Hemsworth

Australian actor (born 1990)

Keith Haring

American artist and social activist (1958-1990)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Keith.

443,830 babies since 1880

463,357 babies since 1880

388,275 babies since 1880

508,017 babies since 1880

364,716 babies since 1880

364,389 babies since 1882

361,476 babies since 1880

521,478 babies since 1880

Get new name insights first

Occasional updates when we add new data & tools. No spam, unsubscribe anytime by replying to any email or writing to hello@zalize.com.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We store only your email address and the date you signed up.