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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Keith

63 replies

Kustan1972 · 02/10/2019 01:18

My friend is pregnant and she told me last night that she wants to call her son Keith after her uncle.

What do you think?

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JaffaCakeGal · 02/10/2019 13:36

hahaha! This is what me and my DP jokingly say we will use as a boys name if we have kids (I was trying to think of the weirdest baby name to pick)! But now because we bring up baby Keith every day the name is now growing on me!

MrsSiriusBlack1 · 02/10/2019 13:40

I know a keith, he’s a close relative, he’s always wondered why his parents looked at him as a newborn and thought keith Grin

GaudyNight · 02/10/2019 13:57

Same reason I assume as parents now look at their newborn and say ‘George!’ or ‘Oliver!’ or ‘Luna!’

TheRaccoonLandlord · 02/10/2019 13:59

I don’t think there’s anything that bad about it. My Dnan thought my sons names was weird because it was popular when she was younger, I suppose that’s how we would feel about Keith.

Gummibaerchen1 · 02/10/2019 14:46

Does your friend actually want our opinions on her name choice?! Hmm

Personally I like Keith. It makes a refreshing change from all the little Alfies and Archies.

I also like Heath, which sounds similar.

Gummibaerchen1 · 02/10/2019 14:48

he’s always wondered why his parents looked at him as a newborn and thought keith

What an odd question! For the same reason parents look at their newborn and think any name they like...?!

MrsSiriusBlack1 · 02/10/2019 14:54

Cos it’s such a boring name perhaps? Confused

twinkledag · 02/10/2019 15:17

No just no

Windydaysuponus · 02/10/2019 15:21

Lemon?
Just no...

NoSauce · 02/10/2019 15:44

I think it’s far preferable to the ubiquitous George

Yeah. That’s why the classrooms are full of little Keiths. Oh hang on Hmm

GRW · 02/10/2019 16:14

Heath has a similar sound but a totally different vibe. I think Keith will be popular again in a few years so you would be ahead of the curve if you used it now.

Gummibaerchen1 · 02/10/2019 17:26

Keith sounds much stronger than Heath. I think it's the hard consonant at the beginning.

Sagradafamiliar · 02/10/2019 17:32

There was a Keith in my year at school. It was a bit different but it's actually a really nice sounding name.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 02/10/2019 17:35

Oh I like it. Pretty cool and retro now for a baby. Plus it’s a lovely nod to her uncle

ilovetofu · 02/10/2019 17:35

Trevor is also nice.

emilybrontescorsett · 02/10/2019 21:33

Dated and old fashioned but it might come back in vogue again, who knows.

RainWoman19 · 02/10/2019 21:45

Are you really just asking for a friend? Grin

WispyTurnip · 02/10/2019 21:49

@NoSauce, the classrooms used to be full of little Keiths. It was every bit as popular as George is now, and, in time, George, Jack, Charlie, Freddie, Oliver and Louis will sound just as naff and dated as Keith, Gary, Darren, and Nigel.

DramaAlpaca · 02/10/2019 21:59

I know two in their 20s & one in his 80s. They were all babies called Keith once, so why not?

RueCambon · 02/10/2019 22:02

The name is ok. It is the image of the name that is bad, on mumsnet. I dont dislike the name itself.

RueCambon · 02/10/2019 22:05

True @wispyturnip. There are two keiths in my team of 8 at work. 3 of us women and one of the women is married to a keith! The 3 keiths are all v different.

BoggiesBonnieBelle · 03/10/2019 14:48

It's becoming more popular as middle name in Scotland, presumably parents using a grandfather's name as middle name.

I think your friend would be ahead of the trend with baby Keith.

ilovetofu · 03/10/2019 22:16

What about baby Brian?
Or baby Dennis?

cacklingmags · 03/10/2019 22:25

Keith is an old fashioned name that became a bit of a joke for a generation. Hence the Spitting Image song:
Hold a chicken in the air
Stick a deckchair up your nose
Buy a jumbo jet, and then bury all your clothes
Paint your left knee green, then extract your wisdom teeth
Form a string quartet, and pretend your name is Keith.
There is nothing inherently wrong with it and the baby that gets the name now may be chuckled over by oldsters, but his peers will probably think it is a cool name.

Gummibaerchen1 · 04/10/2019 07:16

It's starting to grow on me.

I think I like the strong sound after the recent trend of cutesy names eg Alfie, Archie, Teddie, Ernie etc