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Keith Family History

Keith Name Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from the lands of Keith in East Lothian. The placename is derived from British Celtic cait- ‘wood’. In the 17th century numerous bearers of this name settled in Ulster. German: nickname from Middle High German kīt ‘sprout offspring’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Weith, Reith, Leith, Beitz, Keil, Ketz, Meth, Keitel, Leite, Seith

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Keith family from?

You can see how Keith families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Keith family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Keith families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 156 Keith families living in Massachusetts. This was about 29% of all the recorded Keith's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Keith families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Keith surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Keith ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Keith. 17% of Keith men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Keith women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Keith were Truck Driver and Maid. .

View Census Data for Keith | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    17%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    8%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Maid
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Keith family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 248,000 census records available for the last name Keith. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Keith census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Keith

Passenger Lists

There are 26,000 immigration records available for the last name Keith. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Keith immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 50,000 military records available for the last name Keith. For the veterans among your Keith ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Keith family history

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What is the average Keith lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Keith life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Keith in 1940 was 32, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Keith

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