Keith vs Leif
Keith and Leifcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Keith was ranked #3688 and Leif #814 among boys in England and Wales.
Keith and Leif over time
Keith and Leif appear together in 1 published list, across 26 years of shared records. Keith held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Leif in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Keith reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Leif in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Keith and Leif changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3688 and #814.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2024
Keith held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Leif in 8.
Highest recorded here: Keith #379 in 1996, Leif #814 in 2024.
The order changed in 2020: Leif moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #1869 and #2104; by 2020 that had become #3334 and #1548.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Keith #3688, Leif #814.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Keith | Leif |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'heir' or 'descendant'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Old Norse |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /leɪf/ (also /liːf/) |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Leiv |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) | Sweden #88 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Leif has a recorded origin (Old Norse); Keith does not have one recorded yet.
- Keith and Leif both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Leif; Keith doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
- The available evidence gives Keith a "medium" Data Confidence level and Leif a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Keith
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #40 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Leif
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #17 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #225 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys