Kezia

Kezia is an English variant of Keziah, a biblical name derived from the Hebrew Qetsiʿa, meaning "cassia, cinnamon," referring to the aromatic bark of the spice tree. In the Old Testament, Keziah is the second daughter of Job, born after his restoration, alongside her sisters Jemima and Keren-Happuch. Job 42:14 names the Daughters of Job, highlighting their beauty and inheritance alongside their brothers—a unique detail in biblical narratives.

As a given name, Kezia emerged in English-speaking Christian communities, particularly among Puritans and other Protestants who favored Old Testament names during the Reformation and later centuries. Its natural, aromatic meaning appealed to parents seeking virtue names based on botanical or sensory qualities. The variant spelling Kezia, often retained with the “K–” from the Hebrew transliteration, stands apart from the more Latinate Keziah found in many English Bibles.

Kezia shares its root with the spice cassia, related to cinnamon. The name is linguistically related to the modern first names Keisha and Lakeisha, derived from the same biblical root via African-American naming traditions.

Notable Bearers

In the 21st century, notable bearers include feminist theologian Kezia N. Thomas, and British-Australian preacher Kezia Dugdale, though Dugdale’s birth name is Katherine and she uses the variant ‘Kezia’ as a modern adaptation. In popular culture, the name appears in children’s literature, for example, in Tracks in the Snow (2016) which feature a character named Kezia.

• Meaning: Cassia, cinnamon (tree bark)
• Origin: Hebrew (biblical)
• Type: Feminine given name
• Usage: English Bible, English-speaking Christian cultures
• Related forms: Keziah, Kizzie, Kizzy, Qetzi'a, and the modern surnames-flanked R&B of the Girl group version popular from the late–20th century.