Keith
A Scottish surname from a place name, probably tied to an old Celtic word meaning “narrow” or “confined.”
The #718 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,368 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Keith is chiefly a locational surname, taken from the place in Haddingtonshire (East Lothian) from which the old Scottish family of Keith took its name. Lower explains the place-name as probably Celtic, from a form like caeth, meaning “confined” or “narrow.” In short, the surname originally meant “from Keith,” rather than being an occupational or nickname form.
History
The Keiths became one of the major Scottish families, later known as hereditary Earls-Marischal of Scotland. Over time the surname spread beyond its original district and became established widely in Scotland and then in the wider English-speaking world. The same place-name also appears in other Scottish localities, which likely helped reinforce the surname’s geographic character.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The family seat associated with the name was known as Keith-Marshall, a reminder of the Keiths’ hereditary office as Earls Marischal.
From the historical record
“KEIR, A parish In Dumfriesshire. KEITH. Several parishes and places in Scotland bear this name, which seems to be a Celtic descriptive term ( Caeth) signifying ' confined or narrow.' The place from which the ancient family of Keith, hereditary Earls-Marshal of Scotland from 1010, derive their surname, is in the…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom