Keith Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Keith last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Keith last name
Meaning of the Keith last name: from the lands of Keith. Keith is a Scottish surname from the lands of Keith in East Lothian. The family who took the last name held the hereditary office of Marischal of Scotland for centuries, keeping order at the royal court, and later held Dunnottar Castle on the Kincardineshire coast. A curious detail: the surname spread through Aberdeenshire and the northeast long before it became a popular first name.
Arms associated with the Keith name
Scottish heraldry still grants new coats of arms today, and arms associated with the Keith name are described in a blazon that follows the same rules as centuries ago.
Get your full Keith family history
This is only a glimpse of the Keith story. The full Keith history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Keith coat of arms. Get the full Keith report.
Keith name FAQ
What does the Keith name mean?
From the lands of Keith. Common variants include Keyth, Keath, Keeth.
Where does the Keith surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Keith coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Keith coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); People of Medieval Scotland 1093-1371 database.