Meaning and background
The story behind Keith
Keith began as a Scottish surname associated with an estate in East Lothian. Behind the Name treats a connection to a Celtic root for wood as possible, preserving uncertainty about the place-name's deeper origin. It records given-name use from the nineteenth century and wider popularity in the twentieth. The name's Scottish background is firmer than a simple claim that Keith always translates directly as forest.
- Origin
- Given name from a Scottish surname associated with an East Lothian estate; a wood-related Celtic derivation is possible. Source
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About Keith
Recorded as a dog’s name
Keith appears in 5 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/kiθ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/kiθ/ · primary stress on syllable 1K IY1 TH
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.