Keith is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Keith means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Keith across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Keith has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Keith is a boy name of Scottish (Gaelic) origin meaning “wood, from the place Keith”. originally a Scottish surname.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 440,123 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 628 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 2,854 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 66 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 10,053 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 2,175 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Keith per year, United States (1888 to 2025). United States peaked in 1957 (12,483/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1975 (459/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (256/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (57/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (12/yr).
Keith has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1957, when it ranked #67 nationally (given to 12,483 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Kieth · Keitha · Ghaith · Kath
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