Keziah

Meaning of Keziah

Keziah is a feminine given name of Hebrew provenance, deriving from Qedtsíyâ—literally “cassia tree,” the aromatic cousin of cinnamon—and entering English usage through the Book of Job, where Keziah appears as the second of Job’s three post-trial daughters, a narrative context that has long imbued the name with overtones of resilience and renewal. Adopted by English-speaking Puritans who favored distinctive Old Testament appellations, it migrated to colonial America and, though never ubiquitously popular, has maintained a quiet presence ever since. Contemporary U.S. vital-statistics data reveal a slow but discernible ascent: from isolated single-digit occurrences in the 1970s to 311 registrations and a national rank of 645 in 2024, suggesting that modern parents are increasingly receptive to its blend of antiquity, botanical imagery, and phonetic freshness. Usually rendered in English as KEE-zee-ə or KEZ-ee-ə, Keziah thus occupies a niche where biblical heritage, natural symbolism, and present-day distinctiveness converge.