What’s the key to finding a great baby name?
Perhaps it’s checking out a long list of names that contain the word KEY!
Top baby names with KEY
First, a quick rundown of the most popular names with the letter sequence “k-e-y,” according to the current U.S. baby name data.
| Top girl names with “k-e-y” | Top boy names with “k-e-y” |
| Keyla Keyli Keylani Keylin Keyani Keya Keyari Keyanna Lakeyn Keyana | Mickey Keyon Rickey Keylor Keyden Keyan Mikey Keyshawn Keyler Keylan |
Now here are the same names again, this time with links to popularity graphs and, in some cases, explanations/definitions. (Most of these are modern names without a distinct origin, so I can’t add as much extra information as I did in similar posts, e.g., VAN, ICE, CAR.)
- Keya
- Keyan
- Keyana and Keyanna were likely popularized by Qiana.
- Keyani
- Keyari
- Keyden
- Keyla
- Keylan
- Keylani may be a combination of the English word key and Hawaiian word lani, meaning “sky, heaven.”
- Keyler
- Keyli is a variant spelling of Keely, which can be traced back to Caollaidhe, an Irish (male) personal name based on the word caol, meaning “slender.”
- Keylin
- Keylor
- Keyon was probably influenced by similar-sounding names such as Dion and Leon.
- Keyshawn is an elaboration of Shawn, which is an Anglicized form of Seán, the Irish form of John.
- Lakeyn
- Mickey and Mikey are diminutives of Michael, which is based on a Hebrew name meaning “who is like God?” (rhetorical question).
- Rickey is a diminutive of Richard, which is based on a Germanic name made up of elements meaning “ruler, king” and “hardy, brave.”
More names with KEY
What other names have KEY in them? Here are some less-common choices. (Nearly all of these come directly from the SSA’s baby name data.)
- Akeya, Akeyia
- Akeyla, Akeylah
- Akeyra
- Beckey
- Bjarkey
- Buckey
- Chakeya
- Corkey
- Dickey
- Frankey
- Hawkeye
- Ikey
- Ikeya, Ikeyia
- Jackey
- Jakey
- Jakeya
- Jakeyla
- Karthikeya
- Karthikeyan
- Kartikeya
- Key, Keye
- Here’s a Key West. ;)
- Keyaan
- Keyah
- Keyahna
- Keyair
- Keyaira, Keyairah, Keyairra
- Keyajah
- Keyaki
- Keyala
- Keyanah, Keyannah
- Keyanda
- Keyandra
- Keyandre
- Keyandrea
- Keyania
- Keyanni
- Keyansh
- Keyanta
- Keyante
- Keyara, Keyarah, Keyarra
- Keyaria
- Keyarie
- Keyasha
- Keyashia
- Keyasia
- Keyatta
- Keyaun
- Keyauna
- Keyawna
- Keydan
- Keydi
- Keydon
- Keydra
- Siblings named Keydra, Keyden, and Keyvar were mentioned in name quotes #115 earlier this year.
- Keydren
- Keydy
- Keyan
- Keyen
- Keyera, Keyerah, Keyerra
- Keyeria
- Keyetta
- Keygan
- Keyia
- Keyiana
- Keyik
- Keyilah
- Keyion
- Keyiona
- Keyira
- Keyisha
- Keyjuan
- Keylah, Keyhla
- Keyland
- Keylanie
- Keyle
- Keylea
- Keylee, Keyleigh, Keylie, Keyly
- Keyleen
- Keylei
- Keylen
- Keyleth
- Keyliana
- Keylianis
- Keylianiz
- Keylli, Keylly
- Keylon
- Keylyn
- Keymani
- Keymar
- Keymari
- Keymarion
- Keymaya
- Keymi
- Keymia, Keymiah, Keymiyah
- Keymon
- Keymoni
- Keymond
- Keymonte
- Keymora
- Keymya
- Keyna
- Keynan
- Keynen
- Keyner
- Keynia, Keyniah
- Keynon
- Keynu
- Keyo
- Keyoka
- Keyomi
- Keyona, Keyonah, Keyonna
- Keyonce
- Keyonda
- Keyondra
- Keyondre
- Keyondria
- Keyone
- Keyoni, Keyonie
- Keyonia, Keyonnia
- Keyonis
- Keyonn
- Keyonne
- Keyonni, Keyonnie
- Keyonta
- Keyontae, Keyontay
- Keyontai
- Keyonte
- Keyora
- Keyosha
- Keyoshia
- Keyra, Keyrra
- Keyren
- Keyri, Keyry
- Keyria
- Keyrin
- Keyron
- Keysa
- Kaysan
- Keysean, Keyshaun
- Keyser
- Keysha
- Keyshana, Keyshanna
- Keyshauna, Keyshawna
- Keyshia
- Keyshla
- Keyshon
- Keyshona
- Keyshonda
- Keyshone
- Keyshun
- Keysi
- Keysia
- Keyson
- Keystal
- Keyston
- Keyth
- Keyton, Keyten
- Keyuana, Keyuanna
- Keyun
- Keyuna, Keyunna
- Keyundra
- Keyunta
- Keyuntae
- Keyur
- Keyva
- Keyvan
- Keyveon
- Keyvin
- Keyvion
- Keyvon
- Keyvonna
- Keyvonte
- Keywan
- Keywana, Keywanna
- Keywanda
- Keywon
- Keyziah
- Lakeya, Lakeyah
- Lakeycha
- Lakeyda
- Lakeydra
- Lakeyia
- Lakeyla
- Lakeysa
- Lakeysha
- Lakeyshia
- Lakeysia
- Lakeyta
- Lekeya
- Lekeysha
- Luckey
- Mackey
- Mackeyla
- Makeya
- Markey
- Markeya
- Markeyda
- Markeyia
- Markeyla
- Markeysha
- Markeyta
- Mckeyla
- Mikeya
- Mikeyia
- Mikeyla
- Myrkey
- Nakeya, Nakeyah, Nakeyia
- Nakeysha
- Nekeya
- Nekeysha
- Nickey
- Nickeya, Nikeya, Nikeyia, Nikkeya
- Nykeya
- Oakey
- Okey
- Pinkey
- Rakeya
- Rickeya
- Rikey
- Rockey
- Rokeya
- Sakeya
- Sankey
- Shakeya, Shakeyia
- Shakeyda
- Shakeyla
- Shakeyra
- Shakeyta
- Shikeyla
- Smokey
- Starkey
- Sukey
- Takeya, Takeyah, Takeyia
- Takeyla
- Takeyoshi
- Takeyra
- Takeysha
- Takeyshia
- Takeyuki
- Tekeya, Tekeyah
- Tekeyla
- Tikeya, Tikeyah
- Tkeya, Tkeyah
- Tkeyha
- Tykeyah
- Vickey
- Whiskey
- Zakeya, Zakeyah, Zakeyia
- Zikeyah
Some of the above are non-traditional spellings of more common names, such as Becky, Vicky, and Keith.
Which KEY name do you like most? Let me know in the comments!
Sources:
- SSA
- Behind the Name
- Online Etymology Dictionary
- Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Image: Adapted from Top view of old vintage keys by Ivan Radic under CC BY 2.0.
Love these posts! I imagine a lot of the most popular girls names with Key (Keyla, Keyli, Keylani, Keylin) are actually pronounced more like Kay, reflecting Spanish phonetics. So I bet Keyli is more likely a variation of Kaylee than of Keely.
Keyshawn saw a big boost in the latter half of the 90s and that is most likely due to Keyshawn Johnson who was a star football player at USC before being the #1 NFL draft pick in (I think) 1996.
@Alex – I’m happy you like these lists! Yes, I’m sure you’re right — KEY is no doubt pronounced “kay” by a number of people (who speak Spanish, Portuguese, etc.). I’m sorry I didn’t consider this before writing the post. Thank you for bringing it up. :)
@Ellyn – Thank you for that info! (I have a post about Keyshawn coming up, but it won’t go live for a little while.)
Keylor is a brazilian soccer player (name rhymes with Kaylor)
Thank you, allure!