Kiefer
About Kiefer
Kiefer is a strong occupational surname associated with "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but one that could well join the other 'er' surnames currently in favor. Keifer is a German surname transferred to first name use, derived from two old Germanic words, kien and forhe, both of which mean "pine tree."
Kiefer Sutherland, the son of actor Donald Sutherland, was named for director Warren Kiefer, who gave Donald Sutherland his first movie role. Donald was a firm believer in honoring valued friends and mentors--his other sons are named Roeg, Rossif and Angus. Kiefer Sutherland's full name is Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus.
Another possible cultural namesake is the esteemed German artist Anselm Kiefer.
Pronounced KEE-fuh; KEE-fur.
As of October 2026, Kiefer ranked #11399 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #710 in 1991.
Editor's take: The name Kiefer is a boy's name of German origin meaning "barrel maker; pine".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #3,423 | 32 | 16.7 |
| 2015 | #4,034 | 26 | 13.6 |
| 2016 | #4,702 | 21 | 11.1 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Kiefer.
- Jadson
- Saige
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- Carver
- Stiles
- Gannon
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Kiefer on lists
Famous Kiefers
- Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland
American actor; son of actor Donald Sutherland
- Kiefer Isaac Crisologo Ravena
Filipino basketball player
- Kiefer Rain Cropper (b. 1994)
daughter of musician Jason Cropper of Weezer
Kiefer in pop culture
- Kiefer Bauer
character on American soap "General Hospital"
- Spelled Kefir
it is a liquid yogurt product high in protein and digestive enzymes
- Prince Kiefer
character in video game 'Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past'
- Al Kiefer
a minor character on “The West Wing”