How popular is the baby name Takeyah in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Takeyah.

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Popularity of the baby name Takeyah


Posts that mention the name Takeyah

Where did the baby name Tkeyah come from in 1990?

American comedian T'Keyah Crystal Keymah
T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh

The name Tkeyah debuted impressively in the U.S. baby name data in 1990, and saw strong usage for the next few years:

  • 1992: 149 baby girls named Tkeyah
  • 1991: 161 baby girls named Tkeyah
  • 1990: 38 baby girls named Tkeyah [debut]
  • 1989: unlisted
  • 1988: unlisted

Similar names such as Takeyah, Tkeya, Tekeyah, Tikeyah, Tykeyah, Tkeyha, and simply Keyah also popped up in the data during the early ’90s.

What was the inspiration behind all these names?

Actress/comedian T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh (pronounced tah-KEE-yah KRIS-tal kee-MAH).

T’Keyah was one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series In Living Color (1990-1994). She played recurring characters such as sassy customer service worker LaShawn and Go On Girl host Shawanda Harvey.

She was born Crystal Walker in Chicago in 1962. When she was eight years old, she “mistakenly thought then-Illinois Gov. Dan Walker was a blood relative.”

When her family explained that Gov. Walker was white and therefore not a blood relative, young Keymah decided then and there to change her name to one that reflected her African ancestry.

“I learned Walker was a slave name,” Keymah recalled. “I felt tricked. I remember thinking I shouldn’t have something that’s attached to me that’s not true about myself. I started searching for a name that was appropriate for me.”

Three years ago [in 1988] she adopted her present name, which is taken from Hebrew. She explains T’Keyah means “mental revival of God’s spirit” and Keymah means “to establish oneself.”

So far I haven’t found any sources that corroborate those definitions, but I did find the Hebrew words tekiah (which is a single, long blast of a shofar) and kimah (which refers to a cluster of stars, such as the Pleiades).

What are your thoughts on the name T’Keyah?

Sources:

Image © 1990 20th Century Fox

Baby names with KEY: Keyla, Hawkeye, Mickey

keys

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
  • 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
  • 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:

Image: Adapted from Top view of old vintage keys by Ivan Radic under CC BY 2.0.