Kieth

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Kieth

Pronounced KEETH /ˈkiːθ/High

Meaning: Kieth is a well-worn variant of Keith, produced by swapping the -ei- to -ie-. Keith began as a Scottish surname and place name, generally traced to a Brittonic or Gaelic element meaning 'wood' or, by some accounts, 'windy place.' The Kieth spelling carries exactly the same meaning and sound as the standard form.Medium

In 30 seconds: Kieth (said 'KEETH') is a transposed spelling of Keith — the Scottish name meaning 'wood' or 'windy place' — the everyday result of the tricky -ei-/-ie- order.

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Origin MediumScottish

MeaningKieth is a well-worn variant of Keith, produced by swapping the -ei- to -ie-. Keith began as a Scottish surname and place name, generally traced to a Brittonic or Gaelic element meaning 'wood' or, by some accounts, 'windy place.' The Kieth spelling carries exactly the same meaning and sound as the standard form.

U.S. rank (2010)#10277 ↗ Rising

2010 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1964

Total births (all-time)≈ 2,837

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Kieth is the metathesized form of Keith, a name rooted in a Scottish place and clan and generally read as 'wood' or 'windy place.' Keith spread as a first name across the English-speaking world in the twentieth century, and this flipped spelling followed it, appearing from the 1910s, peaking around 1964 in step with the parent, and thinning by the 2010s.

A man named Kieth most likely arrived in the postwar decades, when Keith itself was at its height, so it reads as a solid mid-century boy's name. The variant carries the same clan-and-country heritage as Keith and the same brisk single beat. Namers should know it is often 'corrected' back to Keith, and it pairs comfortably with brothers like Neil, Craig or Dean.

Did you know? Kieth is one of English spelling's classic 'i-before-e' casualties: thousands of boys were registered with the letters flipped, giving Keith a steady shadow-spelling all its own.

Overall data confidence 70%

References — Kieth — Transposed spelling of Keith (Scottish 'wood/windy place'); c.1964 peak

Variations

KeithKeethKief

Nicknames

KeeKeithy

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If you like Kieth…

Keith— the standard spelling Kieth transposes

Heath— a like single-syllable -th boy's name

Kent— a same-era brisk one-beat name

Dwight— another clipped mid-century boy's name

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By themevariant scottish mid-century

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kieth mean?

Kieth is a variant spelling of Keith, a Scottish place and clan name usually read as 'wood' or 'windy place.'

How do you pronounce Kieth?

It's said KEETH /ˈkiːθ/ — one syllable.

Is Kieth a boy or girl name?

Kieth is used as a boy's name, as a variant of the boy's name Keith.

How popular is Kieth?

Kieth is an uncommon spelling that shadowed Keith's mid-century popularity, peaking in the mid-sixties and fading since.