Keith History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Keith

What does the name Keith mean?

A family in the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland was the first to use the name Keith. They lived in the lands of Keith in the county of East Lothian. Traditionally the Keiths were descended from Robert, an early Chieftain of the Catti tribe, and possibly one of the earliest settlers in Scotland. Robert joined King Malcolm II at the battle of Panbridge, in 1006, against Camus, leader of the Danes.

Robert slew Camus for which King Malcolm granted Robert the hereditary title of Marshall of Scotland, with a barony in Lothian and the island of Inskeith in the gulf of Edinburgh. It is for this title that the Keiths are sometimes known as the Marshalls, and many Clansmen adopted that name.

Keith Coat of Arms Creation

The significance of the Keith Coat of Arms is most interesting. On the chief (top portion) of the shield, there are red and gold lines which divide it into compartments. This distinction is said to have been awarded to a Robert Keith by Malcolm II. of Scotland. This Robert at the Battle of Panbride in 1006 helped the King win a notable victory over the Danes by slewing the Danish King Camus. Malcolm dipped his fingers in the vanquished King's blood, and drew strokes with it on the top of Robert Keith's shield. These red lines remain to this day.

The Keiths were hereditary Marischals of Scotland, and for this share in the preservation of the regalia of Scotland, that a later Keith was made Earl of Kintore in 1677. He was proprietor of Dunottar Castle, in which the regalia was concealed. 1

Early Origins of the Keith family

The surname Keith was first found in Haddingtonshire where Harvey Keith, successor of the aforementioned Robert Keith (d. 1346) inherited the office of Marshal late in the 13th century, but was imprisoned by the English until 1304. "Reported to [King] Edward as 'one of his worst enemies,' and 'of bad repute,' he was ordered to be removed to Nottingham Castle; but, on reaching York on his way thither, was sent to Bristol Castle. In 1302 he was admitted to the king's peace, and returning to Scotland, is mentioned as dining with the Prince of Wales at Perth in February 1304." 2

He became one of four Deputy Wardens of Scotland. He joined the cause of King Robert the Bruce, and for their assistance to the Scottish crown, the Clan was granted the royal forest of Kintore. Harvey Keith commanded the Scots Cavalry at Bannockburn and was probably more instrumental in the annihilation of the English army than any other single person. He was again granted lands for his deeds, this time at the expense of the Clan Cumming (Comyn), whose estates at Buchan were acquired by the Keith Clan.

His great grandson, Sir William Keith, (d. 1336) founded the tower of Dunottar Castle. He brought the bones and heart of James Douglas, as well as King Robert I of Scotland's heart, back to Scotland after Douglas was killed on crusade in Spain. Through marriage with an heiress of the Cheynes of Axkergill, the Keiths acquired lands in Caithrless, and began a never-ending succession of feuds with their new neighbors, the Gunns and others.

Early History of the Keith family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keith research. Another 359 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1357, 1358, 1369, 1371, 1407, 1438, 1464, 1475, 1540, 1553, 1581, 1585, 1588, 1610, 1623, 1635, 1638, 1664, 1670, 1681, 1694, 1699, 1712, 1714, 1716, 1718, 1757, 1758 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Keith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keith Spelling Variations

In medieval Scotland, names were more often spelled according to sound than any regular set of rules. An enormous number of spelling variations were the result. Over the years, the name Keith has been spelled Keith, Keath, Ceiteach (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Keith family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

William Keith (d. 1475), 1st Earl Marischal of Scotland
Agnes Keith, Countess of Moray (c.1540-1588), a Scottish noblewoman
William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal (d. 1581), a Scottish nobleman and politician
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (c.1553-1623), a Scottish nobleman
William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal (c.1585-1635), a Scottish lord, Earl Marischal and naval official
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal (1610-1670), a Scottish nobleman and Covenanter
Sir John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore (died 1714), a Scottish nobleman
William Keith, 2nd Earl of Kintore (d. 1718)
John Keith, 3rd Earl of Kintore (c. 1699-1758)
George Keith, 8th Earl Marischal (d. 1694)
William Keith, 9th Earl Marischal (c.1664-1712), a Jacobite politician

Keith Ranking

In the United States, the name Keith is the 577^th most popular surname with an estimated 49,740 people with that name. 3 However, in New Zealand, the name Keith is ranked the 958^th most popular surname with an estimated 780 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Keith family to Ireland

Some of the Keith family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keith migration to the United States +

In such difficult times, Ireland, Australia, and North America looked like better homes for many Scots. The trips were expensive and grueling, but also rewarding, as the colonies were havens for those unwelcome in the old country. That legacy did not die easily, though, and many were forced to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. The Scottish legacy has resurface in more recent times, though, through Clan societies, highland games, and other organizations. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the old Scottish name of Keith:

Keith Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Keith, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1662 5
Dorothy Keith, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 5
Henry Keith, who settled in Virginia in 1679
George Keith, who settled in Philadelphia in 1682

Keith Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margery Keith, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1702 5
Cornelius Keith, who landed in Virginia in 1709 5
Effie Keith, who arrived in New York in 1739 5
Alexander Keith, who landed in South Carolina in 1745 5
William Keith, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1769 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keith Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Keith, aged 20, who landed in Maryland in 1813 5
Rebecca Keith, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 5
John Keith, who landed in New York in 1817 5
Charles Keith, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5

Keith migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Keith Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Capt. Keith Daniel U.E. (b. 1761) born in Dublin, Ireland who settled in New Canaan, Brunswick Parish, Queens County, New Brunswick c. 1785 he served in the Queens Rangers as a Private then Sergeant, Queens Company Militia, married to Elizabeth Disbrown they had 14 children, he died in 1830 6

Keith Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Keith, who arrived in Canada in 1841
Mr. John Keith who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Goliah" departing 21st May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 18th July 1847 but he died on board 7

Keith migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Keith Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Keith, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. William Keith, (b. 1811), aged 16, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. Andrew Keith, Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Jane Keith, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on December 14, 1835, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 11
Mr. John Keith (Anderson), British Convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keith migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Keith Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Alexander Keith, aged 34, a shepherd, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
Mr Keith, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Blenheim
Mr. W. Keith, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 13
Mrs. Keith, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 13
Mrs. Keith, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1858 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keith migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 14

Keith Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

James Keith, who settled in Barbados with his wife and daughter in 1678

Contemporary Notables of the name Keith (post 1700) +

Toby Keith Covel (1961-2024), known professionally as Toby Keith, an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer, all his albums earned Gold or higher, and produced several Top Ten singles, including his debut "Should've Been a Cowboy"
Alexander MacDonald "Sandy" Keith (1928-2020), American politician and jurist who served on the Minnesota Senate, as the 37th Lieutenant Governor
William Bradford "Bill" Keith (1939-2015), American five-string banjoist
William R. Keith (b. 1929), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives, 1973-82, 1993-94 (33rd District 1973-82, 17th District 1993-94) 15
Willard W. Keith, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1948, 1952 (alternate), 1956 (alternate) 15
Walter P. Keith, American politician, Representative from Ohio 14th District, 2000 15
W. W. Keith (1911-1992), American politician, Mayor of Winfield, Kansas, 1950, 1952, 1954 15
Tom Keith, American politician, Representative from Oklahoma 5th District, 1994 15
W. M. Keith, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Smiths Falls, 1884 15
Thomas Keith, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Madison County, 1844 15
... (Another 75 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Keith family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mr. John Edgar Keith (1940-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Whangarei, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 16

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Alfred Keith (1892-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland 17

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Andrew Ian Keith (1908-1941), Australian Lieutenant from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 18

HMS Cornwall

Kenneth Ian Blair Keith (d. 1942), British Able Seaman aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 19

HMS Hood

Mr. Arthur W Keith (b. 1922), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Wimborne, Dorset, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 20

USS Indianapolis

Everette Eugene Keith, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 21

The Keith Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Veritas vincit
Motto Translation: Truth Conquers.

Citations +

Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 81)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1835 with 132 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1835
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, August 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew