UK boy's name
Kiefer
A masculine name of German origin meaning "pine tree".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kiefer is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kiefer popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 15 births.
This profile covers 189 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 20% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 196 living people in the UK are called Kiefer. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kiefer ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 15 boys were registered as Kiefer.
- • Kiefer ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #626 in 2009.
- • About 196 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kiefer as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4789
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
1998
15 births
Estimated living
196
2026
Meaning
What does Kiefer mean?
The given name Kiefer has its origins in the German language, where it is derived from the word "Kiefer," meaning "pine tree" or "pine cone." This name has been in use since the Middle Ages, with some of the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Kiefer was a German knight named Kiefer von Gundelfingen, who lived in the late 13th century and fought in the Crusades. Records also show a Kiefer von Dortmund, a merchant and landowner from the city of Dortmund in the 14th century.
In the realm of religion, there are no significant historical figures or mentions of the name Kiefer in ancient texts or scriptures. However, the name's connection to nature and the pine tree may have held symbolic significance in pagan beliefs and folklore of the Germanic regions.
As the use of surnames became more widespread in Europe, Kiefer was adopted as a surname by various families, particularly in areas where pine trees were abundant or where forestry and timber industries thrived. Some notable historical figures with the first name Kiefer include:
1. Kiefer Sutherland (born 1966), a British-Canadian actor known for his roles in films like "Stand by Me" and the TV series "24."
2. Kiefer Douse (born 1986), a Jamaican sprinter who competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.
3. Kiefer Ravena (born 1994), a Filipino professional basketball player who has represented the Philippines in international competitions.
4. Kiefer Nübel (born 1996), a German professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Bayern Munich.
5. Kiefer Crosbie (born 1995), an Australian actor known for his role in the TV series "The Kettering Incident."
While the name Kiefer has seen widespread use throughout history, particularly in German-speaking regions, its popularity has also extended to other cultures and countries over time, with varying spellings and adaptations.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kiefer over time
The chart below shows babies named Kiefer registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kiefer, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 15 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kiefer by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kiefer was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3875 | 9 | 2 |
| 2010s | #2999 | 46 | 7 |
| 2000s | #1931 | 93 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1289 | 41 | 4 |
Geography
Where Kiefer is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kiefer. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Kiefer ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #626 in 2009.
Across the UK
Kiefer in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#626 in 2009
3 years of NRS records, 9 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Kiefer
-
Kiefer Douse
basketball player
basketball player
1992-
-
Kiefer Sutherland
actor; singer; television producer; songwriter; musician; voice actor; film producer; film director; film actor; television actor; producer; television director; stage actor
British-Canadian actor (born 1966)
1966-
Related
Names similar to Kiefer
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Kiefer: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kiefer in the UK right now?
In 2021, Kiefer was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Kiefer most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 15 babies registered as Kiefer in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kiefer?
A masculine name of German origin meaning "pine tree".
How many people are called Kiefer in the UK?
A total of 189 babies have been registered as Kiefer across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 9 more in Scotland.
Where is Kiefer most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kiefer ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #626 in 2009. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.