Keif
A masculine Arabic name meaning "happiness" or "enjoyment".
Name Census estimates that about 23 living Americans carry the first name Keif. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Keif today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keif births was 1970 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keif. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Keif. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
23
~ 1 in 14,902,363 Americans
Peak year
1970
7 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2001 SSA rank
#11,506
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Keif: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keif from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 20 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keif by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Keif during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Keif
The name Keif finds its origins in the Arabic language, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "كيف" (kayfa), which translates to "how" or "in what manner." This word has its roots in the Semitic language family and has been used in various Arabic dialects for centuries.
In the early Islamic era, the name Keif gained popularity among Arab scholars and philosophers who explored the concept of human existence and the nature of existence itself. It was seen as a name that embodied the spirit of inquiry, introspection, and the pursuit of knowledge.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Keif can be found in the writings of the renowned Persian philosopher and polymath, Avicenna (980-1037 CE). In his treatise "The Book of Healing," Avicenna delved into the metaphysical questions surrounding the nature of existence, using the word "kayfa" to represent the concept of "how" things come into being.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Keif. One such individual was Keif al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274 CE), a Persian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. He made significant contributions to the fields of trigonometry and the development of the Tusi couple, a geometrical technique used in the construction of planetary models.
Another prominent figure was Keif al-Din al-Amili (1544-1622 CE), a Shia scholar and jurist from Lebanon. He was widely respected for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and played a significant role in the development of Shia legal thought.
In the realm of literature, Keif al-Din al-Hamazani (1116-1170 CE) was a renowned Persian poet and writer. His works, including the celebrated "Maqamat," a collection of rhymed prose narratives, have been widely studied and admired for their literary excellence.
Keif al-Din al-Razi (1149-1209 CE), a Persian polymath, also left an indelible mark on the fields of medicine, philosophy, and astronomy. His contributions to the understanding of diseases and their treatments were groundbreaking for his time.
While the name Keif has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and found its way into various cultures and societies throughout history. The name's association with the pursuit of knowledge, introspection, and philosophical inquiry has made it a timeless and respected moniker across generations.
People
Keif + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keif as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Keif: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keif?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 23 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keif going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 14,902,363 US residents.
Is Keif a common name?
We classify Keif as "Very Rare". It ranks above 42.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 25 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keif most popular?
The single biggest year for Keif was 1970, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keif is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Keif in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keif a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keif in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Keif still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keif in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Keif can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Keif?
You can see how many people share the name Keif on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.