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Home › Baby Names Directory › Keefer

Keefer

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Keefer

Pronounced KEE-fur /ˈkiː.fər/Medium

Meaning: Keefer is a surname turned first name with two likely sources. It can be an anglicized form of the Irish O Caoimh, behind O'Keeffe, from caomh, 'gentle, kind, noble'. It also matches the German Kiefer, meaning both 'pine' and 'barrel-maker' (cooper). As a given name it echoes the actor Kiefer Sutherland's first name and reads as a fresh surname pick.Low

In 30 seconds: Keefer is a surname name from Irish O'Keeffe, 'gentle', or German Kiefer, 'pine'. A rare boy's name of the early nineteen-nineties (said KEE-fur).
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Origin LowIrish, German
MeaningKeefer is a surname turned first name with two likely sources. It can be an anglicized form of the Irish O Caoimh, behind O'Keeffe, from caomh, 'gentle, kind, noble'. It also matches the German Kiefer, meaning both 'pine' and 'barrel-maker' (cooper). As a given name it echoes the actor Kiefer Sutherland's first name and reads as a fresh surname pick.
U.S. rank (2022)#11611 ↘ Falling
2022 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1992
Total births (all-time)≈ 315

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199219702022

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Keefer is a surname pressed into service as a first name, part of the late-century taste for last-name firsts. Its Irish route runs through O'Keeffe, from caomh, 'gentle'; its German route through Kiefer, 'pine' or cooper. The given-name use also rides the familiarity of the name Kiefer from popular culture.

It stayed uncommon, reaching only a couple dozen boys a year around 1992 and remaining scarce. A boy named Keefer then is around thirty now.

Did you know? Keefer can point two ways: to the Irish O'Keeffe, from a word for gentle or noble, or to the German Kiefer, which means both pine tree and barrel-maker.
Overall data confidence 45%
References - Keefer / O'Keeffe / Kiefer — Irish O'Keeffe

Variations

KieferKeiferKeeffe

Nicknames

KeefKee

Famous Bearers

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If you like Keefer…

Kiefer— the German sister spelling of the same sound
Keegan— a like Irish surname-name for boys
Cooper— a trade-surname name of similar feel
Sawyer— another surname-turned-first name of the era

Explore names like Keefer

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Keefer mean?

Keefer is a surname name, from the Irish O'Keeffe ('gentle, noble') or the German Kiefer ('pine' or 'barrel-maker').

How do you pronounce Keefer?

It's said KEE-fur /ˈkiː.fər/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Keefer a boy or girl name?

Keefer is used as a boy's name.

Is Keefer a popular name?

No, it has always been rare, a surname name seen mostly in the early nineteen-nineties.

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