Kieran

Kieran - A very unique male name

Kieran appeared on the charts for the first time in 1931 on position #1685. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Kieran and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Kieran? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Kieran. The baby boy name Kieran was given to 785 baby boys in 2025, ranking #389 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,868 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Kieran peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 389.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Kieran, 1-5?

Kieran is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Kieran is currently topping the baby name charts in South Dakota at position #211 - and is the least popular in South Carolina at position #811.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Kieran is where you live.

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Kieran origin and meaning

Irish

Anglicised form of Ciarán, 'little dark one' — from ciar, 'dark, black'

Kieran comes from Ciarán, the name of early Irish saints, a diminutive of ciar, 'dark,' referring to hair or complexion. It has been used in the US since 1931 and in 2025 reached its highest use ever, riding the current wave of Irish names.

Attested etymology

Kieran is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Kieran, pop culture references for the name Kieran and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Kieran

We've found the following names that sound similar to Kieran, sorted by popularity.

Kareem / Karim / Kyren / Kyron / Kiran / Karon / Kyran / Karen / Kyrin / Karam /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Kieran

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Kieran a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Kieran?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KEER-un · /ˈkɪərən/

Around the world

• Ciarán (Irish) — The original Irish form, with accent

Spellings and nicknames

• Kieron — Respelling
• Keiran — Respelling with -ei-
• Ciaran — Unaccented Irish spelling

Nicknames: Kier

Famous bearers

• Kieran Culkin — Actor known for Succession and Home Alone (b. 1982) Contemporary

Style

InternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

A soft but substantial Irish classic with a major recent TV namesake, currently at its American peak.

Worth knowing

• Kieron, Keiran and Kieran spellings are endlessly interchanged, and it is misheard as Karen or Keegan.