The first name Keith
A boy’s name from Scottish Gaelic meaning “wood”, “from the battleground”, “sprout”.
Pronounced /kiːθ/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Scottish Gaelic origin
Keith means “wood”, “from the battleground”, “sprout” in Scottish Gaelic.
* 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 Middle High German kint.
More names that mean forest.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 boys were named Keith, making it the 5,137th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 57 births (#379).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Keith with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Keith at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 311 boys born in the United States were named Keith, the 801st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1957, when 12,437 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Keith
195 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Keith RichardsBritish musician, guitarist of the Rolling Stones, born 1943
- Keith HaringAmerican artist and social activist (1958-1990)
- Keith JarrettAmerican jazz/classical pianist and composer (born 1945)
- Keith EmersonBritish recording artist; keyboard player and composer (1944–2016)
- Keith FlintBritish singer and musician (1969-2019)
- Keith MoonEnglish rock musician, drummer of The Who (1946–1978)
- Keith DavidAmerican actor, born 1956
- Keith FergusonAmerican voice actor (born 1972)
- LaKeith StanfieldAmerican actor and rapper, born 1991
- Keith CarradineAmerican actor and singer, born 1949
- Keith UrbanAustralian-American musician (born 1967)
- Keith EllisonAmerican politician (born 1963)
More Scottish Gaelic boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Keith mean?
- Keith means “wood”, “from the battleground”, “sprout” in Scottish Gaelic.
- What is the origin of the name Keith?
- * 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…
- How popular is the name Keith?
- In 2025, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Keith, ranking 5,137th. Its peak was 1996, with 57 births.
- Is Keith a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 440,123 US babies named Keith since 1880 were boys.
- When was Keith most popular?
- 1957 in the United States, when 12,437 babies were named Keith, its highest rank at 36th.
- How do you pronounce Keith?
- Keith is /kiːθ/, one syllable.
- Is Keith also a surname?
- Yes. Keith is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.