Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Keith

Keith is a Scottish name. It comes from a place name from the Gaelic word “ceiteach” which means "wood, forest" or the Welsh Brythonic (Celtic) word “cet” also meaning "wood". The Keith clan is one of the most successful and illustrious families in Scottish history. Tradition holds that they took their name from the wooded land given by the king to one of their ancestors after he bravely killed a Danish general in an 11th century battle. Keith has since been borne by a long line of Scottish earls. The personal name Keith has become one of the most successful boy names to come out of Scotland. Other examples of one-syllable Scottish male names that have been popularized well beyond their own borders include: Bruce, Doug, Craig, Graham, Ken, Kyle, Roy and Scott. Keith has enjoyed usage outside of Britain since the 19th century.

All About the Baby Name – Keith

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME KEITH

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME KEITH

Keith has been on the American naming charts since the 19th century. This Scottish lad came racing into the 20th century and captured a spot on the Top 100 list of most-favored boy names in 1946 (where it would remain for nearly 50 years). The height of Keith’s success came in the 1960s when the name was a Top 40 choice – but it was also highly successful in the 1970s and 80s. The name dropped off the Top 100 list in 1992 and from that time it has been experiencing backwards momentum on the charts. The name is back down to moderate levels of usage, but it is still a familiar and well-liked name. Keith is one of those powerful, no-nonsense, one-syllable, confident names. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. And maybe because the name is shared by a few famous musicians (Keith Richards, Keith Moon, Keith Urban), the name has a certain sexy quality. There’s no two ways about it, Keith is a super cool name. Just ask the rap musician Kool Keith.

Quick Facts

ON KEITH

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

1

RANKING POPULARITY:

394

PRONUNCIATION:

KEETH

SIMPLE MEANING:

Wood, forest

Characteristics

OF KEITH

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Keith

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME KEITH

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Keith

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME KEITH

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Keith


Popular Songs

ON KEITH

She'll Be Back with Keith Someday
a song by Toy Dolls

Me & Keith
a song by Verbena

Keith Song
a song by Tabula Rasa

Keith 'N Me
a song by Princess Superstar

Keith
a song by Discount

Famous People

NAMED KEITH

Keith Richards (musician)
Keith Moon (musician)
Keith Urban (country musician)
Keith Anderson (country singer)
Keith Haring (artist)
Keith Malley (Internet podcaster)
Keith Strickland (musician)
Keith Jarrett (jazz pianist)
Keith Carradine (actor)
Keith Allen (hockey player)
Keith Hernandez (baseball player)
Keith Olbermann (TV news personality)
Keith Sweat (musician)
Keith Tkachuk (hockey player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED KEITH

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Keith

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME KEITH

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Keith