Keegan vs Kieran
Keegan and Kierancompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2000, Keegan was ranked #99 and Kieran #88 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Keegan was ranked #232 and Kieran #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Keegan was ranked #478 and Kieran #246 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Keegan was ranked #348 and Kieran #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Keegan was ranked #953 and Kieran #639 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1999, Keegan was ranked #3225 and Kieran #3900 among girls in England and Wales.
Keegan and Kieran over time
Keegan and Kieran appear together in 3 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Kieran held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Keegan in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kieran reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Keegan in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Keegan moved ahead of Kieran in Northern Ireland · Boys — #279 and #250 the year before became #187 and #319.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Keegan and Kieran changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2025, ending at #953 and #639.
- Longest-running competitions
Keegan and Kieran were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #953 and #639.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Keegan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Kieran in 27.
Highest recorded here: Keegan #306 in 2008, Kieran #26 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Keegan #953, Kieran #639.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2007–2025
Keegan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Kieran in 12.
Highest recorded here: Keegan #168 in 2020, Kieran #94 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Keegan #348, Kieran #348.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2005–2023
Keegan held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Kieran in 9.
Highest recorded here: Keegan #185 in 2019, Kieran #161 in 2005.
The order changed in 2018: Keegan moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #279 and #250; by 2018 that had become #187 and #319.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Keegan #232, Kieran #395.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Keegan | Kieran |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Anglicized form of Ciarán, itself a diminutive of Ciar ('black, dark') — the same underlying name as the cohort's own Ciaran, spelled via the more common English-world transliteration. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish; shares Ciaran's root, this being the more widely used English-world spelling of the two |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɪɹ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Ciarán, Kieron, Kyran, Keiran |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Kieran has a recorded origin (Irish; shares Ciaran's root, this being the more widely used English-world spelling of the two); Keegan does not have one recorded yet.
- Keegan and Kieran both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kieran; Keegan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Keegan a "medium" Data Confidence level and Kieran a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Keegan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2683 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2001
Highest recorded position: #70 among boys in New Zealand, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2001).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #953 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Kieran
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #32 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #26 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #639 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys