Keithin
A masculine name of Scottish origin meaning "handsome lad" or "battle warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Keithin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Keithin today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keithin births was 2005 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keithin. 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 Keithin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2005
5 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2005 SSA rank
#12,438
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Keithin: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Keithin 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 Keithin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Keithin
The name Keithin is a relatively rare given name with uncertain origins. Some scholars suggest it may have roots in the ancient Celtic languages spoken in parts of modern-day Britain and Ireland, deriving from the words "cath" meaning battle or warrior, and "in" meaning small or little. However, direct historical evidence for this etymology is scant.
Another theory proposes that Keithin originated as a variant spelling of the more common name Keith, which itself has debated roots potentially tracing back to the Brittonic Celtic word "caith" meaning battle or the Anglo-Saxon "cp" meaning wood. If this connection holds true, Keithin could be considered a diminutive or pet form of Keith.
The earliest confirmed record of the name Keithin dates back to the 16th century, appearing in a Scottish parish register from 1592 for the christening of one Keithin McGregor. It remained an obscure name largely confined to Scotland for several centuries thereafter.
One of the first notable individuals to bear the name was Sir Keithin Moncreiffe (1588-1663), a Scottish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms during the 17th century. He was recognized for his service to the Royalist cause under King Charles I.
Fast forwarding to the 19th century, Keithin Macquoid (1834-1924) was a Scottish novelist and writer best known for works such as "Patty" and "The Haunted Chambers of the Palais de Justice." He was an advocate for socialist causes and women's rights.
In the early 20th century, Keithin Moor (1891-1982) was a British actor and comedian who appeared in several films and stage productions, often cast in comedic supporting roles. He was also a talented mimic and impressionist.
Moving to the United States, Keithin Bauserman (1924-2001) was an American college basketball player who starred for the University of Illinois in the 1940s and later played briefly in the early years of the NBA.
Finally, Keithin Jackson (born 1970) is a contemporary American musician and songwriter, known for his work as the bassist and co-founder of the alternative rock band Weezer in the 1990s and beyond.
While never a widely popular name, the unique spelling of Keithin has allowed it to maintain a niche presence across various cultures over multiple centuries, carrying intriguing potential links to ancient warrior roots.
People
Keithin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keithin 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
Keithin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keithin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keithin 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Keithin a common name?
We classify Keithin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keithin most popular?
The single biggest year for Keithin was 2005, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keithin is about 21 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 Keithin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keithin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keithin 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 Keithin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keithin 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 Keithin 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 named Keithin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.