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Keighley

Girl name · 38 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Keighley: 38 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 18 births in 1987.

Keighley is primarily a modern transferred use of the English place name Keighley in West Yorkshire, which itself derives from the Old English personal name *Cyhha* or *Cēoga*, combined with *lēah* meaning "clearing" or "woodland", so it roughly means "Cyhha's clearing". Though not a traditional Scottish name, it has seen occasional use in Scotland as a feminine given name, often considered a more distinctive variant of names like Kayley or Keely. There are no widely known historical bearers, but the most famous association is with the English town of Keighley, known for its railway history and as the birthplace of notable figures such as former footballer Jamie Lawrence. Keighley can also be found as a surname, particularly in northern England, and its phonetic resemblance to the Gaelic *ceallach* ("war" or "strife") sometimes leads to misinterpretation of its roots.